Missing man's body was trapped under boat
The body of a 27-year-old man who fell into the water along Clarke Quay on Sunday (June 25) was found yesterday morning (June 30) – about five days after he went missing.
Trapped under a tongkang boat during this time, his body was retrieved from the Singapore River by the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) divers at around 9.45am.
The Straits Times understands the man has been identified as Mr Neo En Rui, who is a Navy serviceman.
He was pronounced dead by a paramedic at the scene yesterday, and police are investigating the unnatural death.
The police had been alerted at 2.55pm on Sunday that Mr Neo, who is Singaporean, went missing at 3D River Valley Road.
ST understands that closed circuit camera footage showed him falling into the river on the night of June 24.
He reportedly fell into the water near Read Bridge.
On Sunday, SCDF received a call for help at 4.25pm, and conducted a surface search along the Singapore River with the help of a boat from a private operator.
They later conducted diving operations in the area to search for the man.
The man’s family had called the police on Sunday after realising that he failed to return home the night before, according to a report by Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao.
He is believed to have been trapped under a boat that served as a floating restaurant, by the place where he was drinking the night before.
Staff from shops nearby said they saw SCDF personnel checking beneath the tongkang boats with special equipment yesterday morning, reported Lianhe Wanbao. Not long after that, his body was retrieved.
These were the boats at restaurant Hot Stones – one of which serving as its bar, said Wanbao.
Mr Neo’s next-of-kin were spotted at the scene yesterday after his body was found as well, and his mother was in tears.
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