KOTA TINGGI: One man drowned and another is missing while swimming at the Batu Layar beach on Sunday morning.
Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Tanjung Sedili maritime zone acting director commander Mohd Najib Sam said the Johor Baru Maritime Rescue Sub Centre (MRSC) received a distress call around 11.20am.
"A search and rescue operation was immediately activated and a Petir 50 boat was deployed to the location.
"A search and rescue forward base was also set up near the location," he said in a statement on Sunday.
He said Muhammad Syahmi Zamzam, 26, and Haqim Abdul Rahim Lee, 20 were seen frantically splashing and waving before they went missing around 9.30am.
Syahmi's body was found around 3.15pm on a beach about 1.5km away from where he went missing.
"He was pronounced dead and the body was taken to the Kota Tinggi Hospital.
"The MRSC is coordinating search and rescue efforts with the police, Fire and Rescue Department and Pengerang City Council," he said, adding that search was conducted in a seven-square-nautical-mile area.
He said the search area might be expanded.
He added that any calls on emergencies should be made via 999 or the Tanjung Sedili maritime zone operations centre at 07-8916591.