The body recovered from the sea off East Coast Parkway on Tuesday has been identified as Vietnamese Tran Huy Tho, at the Singapore General Hospital mortuary on Wednesday morning by his cousin, Ms Tracy Nguyen.

The 24-year-old, who was reported missing on Monday was found floating in the sea early Tuesday off East Coast Park by Ms Nguyen, who had flown in from Ho Chi Minh City after learning of his plight.

Mr Tho's body was just a few metres from the spot where he had last been seen by two friends who were at the park with him on Monday. He had told the pair he wanted to go swimming by himself near a breakwater, in an area marked as a no-swimming zone.

Police have classified the case as an "unnatural death", and said investigations are ongoing. Meanwhile, arrangements are being made for Mr Tho's remains to be send back to Hanoi.

Ms Nguyen told The Straits Times that she is fairly certain her cousin killed himself. She said she believed he had been troubled before his death. "I think he was too stressed here. I think he was looking for work," said Ms Nguyen, who is staying in Singapore with a group of her friends while assisting with the investigations.

She said her cousin - who has been here for four years - had not gone to school in Singapore and did not have any other immediate family members here with him.

He was not known to be close to his family and had left Hanoi for Singapore four years ago without explanation, she said.