JOHOR BARU: The body of a male patient of the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) was recovered at Lido beach early today.
Rescuers conducting a search and rescue operation recovered his body at the bottom of the Johor Straits about 100m away from the shoreline in front of the hospital at 1.08am today.
The victim had allegedly left the HSA as he was still clad in a green hospital gown when last seen alive at the Lido Beach at 7pm yesterday.
The Fire and Rescue Department received a call at 7.12pm yesterday and sent 11 firemen to the beach.
Johor Baru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Sulaiman Salleh said the man's identity has yet to be determined.
"It is not ascertained yet if the victim was a local or a foreigner," he said.
HSA director Dr Aman Rabu has confirmed the deceased was a patient, and that an investigation will be carried out on the matter.
Personnel from the Marine Department and Civil Defence Department had also joined in the search yesterday.