Pokemon GO player chances upon dead body in Woodlands

SINGAPORE — A Pokemon GO player found more than virtual critters on Sunday morning (Aug 7) when he chanced upon a crowd that had discovered a dead body off Woodlands Waterfront Jetty.  

The player, who only wanted to be identified as his Facebook user name "Azmi Suarez", then posted photos of his shocking early morning encounter on the popular social networking platform. As of 5.20pm, the post has gotten close to 1,000 reactions and over 6,500 shares.

"I was looking on my phone playing the game and then I saw a few people looking into the water... So I looked down in the water and saw the dead body," Amzi, 29, a webmaster, told TODAY in an online interview.

He said he wouldn't have been at the scene if not for Pokemon GO, as he seldom visits the Woodlands Waterfront Park. "Actually, I have a futsal game this morning at 11am but I left my house early around 9am so that I can go to the park to play (Pokemon GO)," he added.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted at about 9.45am to a case of a female body floating in the waters off Woodlands Waterfront Jetty. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics after SDCF personnel retrieved the body from the water.

Police said they are investigating the case.

Despite the incident, Amzi said he plans to continue playing Pokemon GO. "This is just a coincidence that this incident took place while I was there," he said.

Pokemon GO, a worldwide gaming sensation, became available for download in Singapore on Saturday. On the same day, local authorities issued an advisory online, urging players to take safety precautions while playing the game.

“The Pokemon GO craze has seen reports of accidents, injuries and even crimes in countries where it has already been launched. The Police would like to advise Pokémon GO players to enjoy the game safely,” a police statement said.