NIBONG TEBAL: A 31 year-old man who went missing while hunting for crabs along a riverbank in Batu Kawan near here early today has been found dead.

The Fire and Rescue Department’s search team fished out the body of Lee Choon Chin from a river at about 10.50am.

Lee was reported to have gone missing in the 3.30am incident which occurred off Jalan Batu Musang.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman from the Sungai Bakap station said the unit received a distress call from one of Lee's friends who was with him prior to the incident.

"The victim's body was found on the riverbed.

"Lee apparently went into the water to lower a caged net to catch crabs.

"We sent a six-man team to search the waters for him. We had spotted Lee's shoes on a section of the riverbank prior to locating him," he said.

The spokesman also said the man's body was recovered about one kilometre away from where he was last seen by his friends.

He added that Lee's friends had tried looking for him since 3.30am, but could not locate the man and decided to alert the department.

The man's body was handed over to the police and was subsequently sent to the Sungai Bakap Hospital for a post-mortem.

Firemen carry the remains of Lee Choon Chin, 31, who drowned along a riverbank in Batu Kawan while fishing for crabs.Pix by AMIR IRSYAD OMAR.
Firemen carry the remains of Lee Choon Chin, 31, who drowned along a riverbank in Batu Kawan while fishing for crabs.Pix by AMIR IRSYAD OMAR.
Firemen conduct a search and rescue mission to locate the missing 31-year-old man. Pix by AMIR IRSYAD OMAR.
Firemen conduct a search and rescue mission to locate the missing 31-year-old man. Pix by AMIR IRSYAD OMAR.