Monday, Oct 08, 2012
MALACCA - Nine-year-old Muhd Danish Abbasy Mokhtar learnt the hard way not to play with the doorknob - his middle finger got stuck in the keyhole.
Firemen came to his rescue by cutting through the knob to free his finger, leaving the mischievous boy none the worse for wear except for a swollen finger.
However, he won't soon forget his two-hour ordeal.
His mother, Sharifah Nazahatul Akmal, 38, said Muhd Danish, the youngest of three siblings, was playing alone with the doorknob at around noon while she was preparing lunch.
"The doorknob in the room was loose. We have not been able to lock it properly.
"He must have detached part of the knob and played with it while I was busy cooking," she said when met at their home at Jalan Ujong Pasir here yesterday.
"I got a shock when he suddenly came to me with his left middle finger stuck in the knob but he was not crying," said Sharifah.
Muhd Danish, she said, had told her he had initially tried to free his finger by soaking his left hand in water but alerted her when it did not work.
She said she tried to free the finger by smearing it with soap and even oil.
However, after almost an hour of trying, Sharifah decided to call the Fire and Rescue Service Department.
Kubu Fire and Rescue operation chief Hashim Kaus said they had to use a small electronic cutter to slice through the knob.
During the delicate operation, firemen had to comfort the boy after he began to cry each time the cutter was used.
At about 2.30pm, the cutter finally broke through the knob, freeing Muhd Danish's finger.
Asked if he would play with the doorknob again, a visibly shaken Muhd Danish only shook his head.
