KOTA KINABALU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A 28-year-old man is believed to have been fatally attacked by a crocodile while fishing in Sabah around midnight on Thursday (Oct 6).

Mr Herry Long was reported missing at about 1am after his friends could not find him when they prepared to go home. They had been fishing at the Kg Langkon river in Sabah's Kota Marudu district.

An emergency call was made, and a search and rescue operation was mounted.

The operation was, however, halted at about 2.30am for safety reasons.

State Fire and Rescue Department public relations officer Khatizah Rahaban said in a statement that Mr Herry was found by villagers while rescuers were busy scouring the area for him at about 9.15am.

"His body was found floating some 1km away from where he was last seen," she said.

Villagers say they prefer to fish late at night because they can catch more compared with during the day.

The victim's body has been sent to the hospital for a post-mortem.