JOHOR BARU, Aug 9 — Two Singaporeans — a man and a woman — have been reported missing while kayaking in Mersing waters yesterday.

Mersing police acting chief ASP Mohd Nor Mohd Isa said the victims, Tan Eng Soon, 52 (male) and Puah Geok Tin, 64 (female) were believed to have drifted from a group of 13 other Singaporeans who were kayaking with them from the Penyabong jetty in Mersing at about 5.40pm.

"Both the victims started the kayaking activity from the jetty at 10am. At about 5.40pm, when they were in between Pulau Sri Buat, Pahang and Pulau Mertang in Endau waters, are believed to have separated from the group due to turbulent sea and strong winds,” he said in a statement here today.

Mohd Nor said  efforts to locate Tan and Puah by their friends failed and they subsequently lodged a police report at Rompin police station, Pahang at 10.30am this morning.

A search and rescue mission involving 13 personnel from the Endau Police Station, the  Marine Operations Force, Civil Defence Department and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) was activated at Penyabong jetty at about 3.30pm.

Mohd Nor said the case has been classified as that of missing persons and it was believed that both Tan and Puah rode on a bright green-coloured kayak before they went missing. — Bernama