SINGAPORE: Police have confirmed that the body of a boy found on the night of Aug 30 in the waters off East Coast Park was that of 11-year-old Muhammad Hairil Effendi.
Hairil was last seen on Aug 29 in Marine Terrace, in the vicinity of Block 29 Marine Crescent, at around 11.05am.
The police had put out an appeal for information on Hairil’s whereabouts later that night. Members of the public had also circulated a poster of the missing boy on social media.
Hairil’s mother, who wished to be known only as Ain, had told The Straits Times that Hairil has special needs and mostly does not speak.
Police said on Aug 31 that Hairil’s next-of-kin had identified him, after the body of a boy was found in the sea.
In an earlier statement issued past midnight on Aug 31, the police said that they received a call for assistance at East Coast Park at 9.55pm on Aug 30, and on arrival, found the boy floating in the sea.
He was brought ashore by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers and pronounced dead at the scene.
A body was seen being loaded on a stretcher into a police van at about 12.40am on Aug 31.
Preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play, said the police.
“Out of respect for the family, members of the public are advised not to share any videos or images of the deceased,” the police said, after photos and videos of the incident surfaced on social media. - The Straits Times/ANN
