SANDAKAN: The authorities have not been able to ascertain whether the body recovered by local residents of Pulau Taganak, is that of the teenager who fell into the sea early Tuesday.
Pulau Taganak is on the Philippines borders, off Sandakan, Sabah.
The news of the discovery of the body was received at about 11.40am on Thursday but the identity of the victim could not be immediately determined.
The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Putrajaya is notified and the agency would obtain more details from the relevant Philippine authorities.
Meanwhile, the search and rescue (SAR) operations by Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and marine police covering an area of 95 nautical miles are still ongoing as of Thursday.
Ekim Hasan, aged 16, was reported missing after he fell into the sea on Tuesday at about 2.27am.
