Body of Singaporean man swept away by waves off Desaru coast found

JOHOR, MALAYSIA: The body of a 49-year-old Singaporean man, who was feared to have drowned after being swept away by waves, was discovered along the beach near the One&Only Desaru Coast resort on Thursday morning (28 Dec).

Senior Assistant Superintendent Masri Ibrahim, the operations commander at Penawar Fire and Rescue Station, revealed that members of the public found the victim at 5:30 am, approximately 5 kilometers from his last known location at The Westin Desaru Coast Beach.

Following the discovery, the search and rescue (SAR) team promptly handed over the victim’s remains to the local police for further investigation, as confirmed by the Johor Fire and Rescue Department in a statement on Thursday.

Masri mentioned that the victim’s wife positively identified her husband’s body, which has now been sent to Kota Tinggi Hospital.

This marks the conclusion of a rigorous SAR operation, which involved 17 fire and rescue personnel and was initiated on Wednesday.

The SAR operation was triggered after a father and his 16-year-old son were swept away by waves while frolicking at the water’s edge at around 12.30 pm.

Previously, the son was rescued by members of the public and rushed to Kota Tinggi Hospital for treatment.

Masri was quoted as saying that even before the incident, a red flag was raised in the beach area as a warning to visitors not to engage in activities on the beach.

“A red flag was raised there as a warning to visitors not to engage in activities on the beach due to weather conditions,” he said.

The beaches along Johor’s eastern coast are particularly notorious for becoming perilous during the year-end period due to the monsoon season.

Singapore MFA extends condolences and thanks Johor authorities for rescue efforts

Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), as reported by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), mentioned on Thursday that it has been providing consular support and assistance to the deceased’s family through the Singapore Consulate-General in Johor Bahru.

“MFA extends its deepest condolences to the bereaved family,” the spokesperson said.

“MFA would also like to thank the Johor authorities, in particular the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA), for their search and rescue efforts over the last two days.”

Desaru, a coastal town in Johor, has long been a favoured destination for Singaporean tourists, offering resorts and beaches just a 90-minute ferry ride away from Singapore.