Pokemon Go player comes across body in Woodlands park

Mr Azmi (far left) was trying to catch Pokemon near the jetty (left) in Woodlands Waterfront Park when he stumbled across the body of a woman floating face down in the water.
Mr Azmi (above) was trying to catch Pokemon near the jetty in Woodlands Waterfront Park when he stumbled across the body of a woman floating face down in the water. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NOOR AZMI

While out hunting Pokemon at Woodlands Waterfront Park yesterday morning, website administrator Noor Azmi got more than he bargained for when he came across the body of a woman.

The 29-year-old posted photographs of the body, seen floating face down in the water near the park's jetty, on Facebook.

A crowd of curious onlookers was also seen on the jetty.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at around 9.45am and retrieved the body from the water. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by SCDF paramedics.

The police said they are investigating the unnatural death.

Mr Azmi was trying to catch Pokemon near the jetty (above) in Woodlands Waterfront Park when he stumbled across the body of a woman floating face down in the water. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NOOR AZMI

Mr Azmi wrote in his Facebook post that he was looking for Pokemon early yesterday morning when he saw the body. "Rest in peace whoever you are," he said in the post, which has been shared nearly 7,000 times.

Mr Azmi told The Straits Times he had been playing mobile game Pokemon Go - which was launched in Singapore last Saturday - near the jetty for about half an hour as he was trying to catch water-based Pokemon.

That was when he noticed a group of people looking at the body in the water.

"It was totally unexpected. I had read reports of people finding bodies while playing Pokemon Go in other countries, but it never occurred to me that this would happen in Singapore or to me," he said.

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time but... it won't put me off playing the game," he added.

Last month, United States teenager Shayla Wiggins stumbled across a man's corpse while walking along the Big Wind River in Wyoming.

The 19-year-old had also been trying to capture water Pokemon.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 08, 2016, with the headline Pokemon Go player comes across body in Woodlands park. Subscribe