The body of a fisherman who was reported missing three days ago while trying to retrieve his boat which was drifting, was found in the waters of Tanjung Aru, Menumbuk, this morning.

The body of Awang Tahir Daud, 42, was found by two villagers at about 7am, not far from the site where the victim was reported to have dived into the sea to retrieve his boat which was drifting.

"The body was handed over to the police," said a spokesman from the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department's operations centre in a statement today.

The victim and two others had gone to the sea on a boat and anchored at about two nautical miles from the Tanjung Aru beach on Oct 31, to set up stilts, when the boat that which was tied to the pier drifted away while they were on the stilts.

Realising the boat was drifting, the victim dived into the sea at about 5.30pm but disappeared.

--BERNAMA