The body of a 13-year-old boy who was reported missing after a suspected drowning in the Kallang River was retrieved on Thursday night, according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Police said they received a call for assistance at about 10.35pm regarding a body found floating in the river. Officers were dispatched to the scene shortly after.
In a statement, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said firefighters and rescuers from its Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team recovered the body from the water.
A paramedic pronounced the boy dead at the scene.
No Foul Play Suspected
Based on preliminary investigations, police said they do not suspect foul play. Investigations are ongoing.
Earlier that evening, SCDF had called off its active search operation at around 7pm after extensive efforts yielded no sign of the boy.
The agency said it would continue to monitor the situation and conduct periodic checks in the area.
Search Efforts Spanned Two Days
The boy was first reported missing on Wednesday afternoon. He was believed to have been fishing along the river when the incident occurred.
SCDF said it was alerted to the suspected drowning at about 4.30pm on Wednesday. An underwater search operation was immediately launched by members of the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team.
However, due to low visibility conditions, the search was suspended later that night. Operations resumed at about 7am on Thursday, with officers combing the river and surrounding park connector.
Throughout Thursday, SCDF and police officers were seen patrolling the riverbanks, scanning the water with binoculars and maintaining a presence in the area.
At one point in the late afternoon, additional officers joined the ongoing search efforts. The boy was believed to have been wearing purple when he was last seen.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Thursday, the boy’s mother identified him as Daniel, the second of three sons and a student at Northlight School.
The 46-year-old mother, who gave her name as Siti, said her son would typically return home between 4pm and 5pm, even when he had after-school activities.
Fighting back tears, she described Daniel as a well-behaved child who had never caused her trouble.
She had remained near the search area throughout the day as operations continued.
Image via Facebook
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