NIBONG TEBAL: A 31-year-old man has been reported missing after failing to return home following a crab-fishing expedition in Batu Kawan early this morning.

His friends fear that Lee Choon Chin may have inadvertently fallen into a river and was swept away in the 3.30am incident, which took place off Jalan Batu Musang.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman from the Sungai Bakap station said the unit received a distress call from one of Lee’s friends, who was with him prior to the incident.

“They fear that Lee, while lowering his caged net to fish for crabs from the riverbank in the dark, could have fallen in.

“His friends had combed the riverbanks since 3.30am but after failing to locate him, decided to alert the authorities.”

The authorities mounted a search party for Lee at daybreak. Divers were also deployed in the search. The search radius has been set at one kilometre. As at press time, Lee has yet to be found. -nst