BALING: A man who went missing yesterday while picnicking at the Lata Bayu waterfall here with his three friends was found dead today.
The body of the deceased, identified as Muhammad Luqman Zuraidi, 27, was found at the bottom of the river, about 15m from the picnic spot.
District police chief Shamsudin Mamat said the deceased was believed to have drowned while diving in the water, as he was wearing a diving mask when found at 11.05am.
"The search-and-rescue (SAR) operation began at 10am and was divided into two groups taking different routes. Along the uphill trail near the site, the K9 Unit found no leads," he said today.
"The operation then shifted its focus to the river, where the victim was last seen by his friends. The river is roughly neck-deep, with a depth of about 170cm and is located 50 feet (15m) from the picnic site.
"At 10.50 am, the Fire and Rescue Department's Diving Unit began searching the area and found the body at 11.05 am."
He said the deceased's mother filed a missing person's report after she was told by her son's friends about his disappearance after going picnicking at the waterfall at 11am yesterday.
"About 9pm yesterday, the deceased's friends told her that her son was not with them and that the last time they saw him was when he said he wanted to search for worms to use as bait for fishing."
Shamsudin said the victim's body was sent to Kulim Hospital for post-mortem.
"At 1pm, the victim's body was successfully brought down from the site and was taken to the hospital for post-mortem. The SAR operation, which involved various agencies, ended at 1.20 pm."
