Body of man found off Lazarus Island after he went missing for 3 days

A relaxing family getaway to Lazarus Island turned into a tragedy when Kurnia Hardiman Surmadi, 43, died in a suspected drowning after a swim off the island. 

Kurnia's stepdaughter Yanna Aziman posted on Facebook on Tuesday afternoon (March 29) that his body has since been found after he went missing on Sunday. 

"My late stepfather was a loving husband to my mother and was an involved father in our short life together. He was an amazing human being all in all," the 28-year-old wrote. 

She also urged others to stop spreading the videos of her stepfather's body being found online. 

"If you have the video, please do delete it or just keep it to yourself," she posted. "In this cruel cruel world, let's all practice some kindness and empathy."

The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to a case of suspected drowning involving a 43-year-old man at sea near Lazarus Island on Sunday (March 27).

The body was found at the shoreline of the island at about 2.50am on Tuesday (March 29) and investigations are currently ongoing, added the police.

In an earlier interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Yanna said her father went to Lazarus Island last Saturday for a two-day getaway with his family members and relatives.

They were scheduled to return home on Sunday afternoon. 

However, Yanna said she received a call from her mother on Sunday afternoon that Kurnia had been missing since noon.

"My father said he wanted to visit the beach before leaving [the island]. He went for a swim in the sea as soon as they got to the beach," Yanna told Zaobao. 

Yanna's mother returned home with the rest of the family but went back to the island to continue looking for him the next day. 

When contacted, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for assistance near Lazarus Island at 1.25pm on Sunday and two marine vessels were dispatched to the location. 

SCDF's resources for the search-and-rescue operation were stood down on March 29. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com