KOTA KINABALU (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A trip to collect shellfish turned tragic after two oil palm estate workers drowned in Sabah's east coast.

Kunak district police chief, Superintendent Mohd Nasaruddin M Nasir, said the workers were identified as Haslinda Abidin and her male colleague Rolly Enning, both 25.

He said the two and five other workers had gone to the mangroves near the Borneo Eco Farm Resort on Saturday evening (Oct 7) to search for shellfish.

He said that as the workers were combing the mangroves, the water level of the nearby sea went up.

Haslinda and Rolly were swept away by a sudden surge in the waves.

Two police General Operations Force personnel, who heard their screams for help, immediately began looking for the two using a boat borrowed from the resort.

Haslinda's body was recovered a few hours before Rolly's was found at about 10pm.