SINGAPORE – A 28-year-old man was suspected to have drowned in the waters off East Coast Park on Dec 21, and his body was recovered close to seven hours later.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said they were alerted to a case of suspected drowning at 11.55am.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which received a call for water rescue assistance at around noon, said firefighters conducted a visual search from the shore when they arrived.

“Divers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) also conducted underwater search at the area where the person was last seen,” said SCDF, adding that its marine firefighters on board a marine rescue vessel plied the nearby waters.

SCDF rescuers retrieved a body from the shoreline at about 6.40pm.

The police said the man was pronounced dead at the scene by an SCDF paramedic.

In a post on Xiaohongshu on Dec 21, a user said police and SCDF vehicles were seen in the area around noon. Officers had cordoned off a large part of the park, while divers and a boat were out in the waters.

A video accompanying the post shows at least two police cars, an ambulance and an SCDF vehicle. A few police officers can be seen at a pavilion within the cordon with a group of people.

Preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play, police said.

Investigations are ongoing.