A 19-year-old Malaysian swimmer Ayrton Lim was found dead at his home in Tabuan Laru on Thursday, October 24. He represented Sarawak at the Malaysia Games and recently returned home from training in Singapore.
As per the reports the mother of the deceased found him unconscious and then called the local police at around 12.30 pm. Kuching district police chief ACP Awang Din Awang Gani said the swimmer, Lim, was pronounced dead on the scene after the paramedics arrived at his residence. Initial investigation showed that there were no criminal elements involved. Local police have classified this case as sudden death, reported Malaysia's Bernama.
However, Lim's mother revealed that her son was in "a state of depression" prior to his death. Later, See Hua Daily News reported that the swimmer hanged himself and was facing relationship related problems. It was also found that on Thursday, Lim posted a cryptic Instagram story stating "It has been a wonderful 19 years and I'm grateful if you're part of it (a smiley and a heart emoji), Thank You."
It should be noted that as per the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide is the second leading cause of death among youths aged between 15 and 19 years old in the world. Malaysia's Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the 2017 National Health and Morbidity Study revealed that there was a rising trend in suicide among youths aged between 13 and 17, and in 2017 about 10 per cent had suicidal thoughts compared with 7. 9 per cent in 2012.
He urged those who have issues or having thoughts of suicide to contact the 24-hour Befrienders hotline at 05-547 7933 (Ipoh), 04-281 5161 (Penang) or 03-7956 8144 (Klang Valley). In terms of Singapore, people can seek help from respective authorities. Here are the helpline numbers:
- Samaritans of Singapore (SOS): 1800-221444
- Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-2837019
- Sage Counselling Centre: 1800-5555555
- Care Corner Mandarin Counselling: 1800-3535800
