ALOR SETAR: An elderly man drowned in the river near his house at Kampung Bawah Gunung, Baling here on Monday (March 28).

       Baling OCPD Supt Shamsudin Mamat said the victim's 54-year-old son who stays in the same village informed the police about the incident that happened at 2.30am.

       "Investigation found that the incident happened at Sungai Ketil in Baling. The deceased was ill and his movement was limited due to his old age and being senile," he said in a statement.

       Supt Shamsudin said that the wife of the deceased realised her husband was not beside her at about 2am.

       Supt Shamsudin said the wife noticed the back door of their house near the bathroom was open and alerted her family members and neighbours before conducting a search at their house.

       "The search party then found an imprint on the ground of someone slipping near the river slope about 15 feet from the back of the door of the house," he said.

       He said a search and rescue operation (SAR) was initiated at 10.30am and the victim's body was found in the river near Masjid Ridzwaniah at 11.20am about 1.3km from the location the victim fell.

       He said the victim's body was then brought to Baling police station for documentation and body identification process by the family member.

       The victim's body was then brought to Hospital Kulim for post mortem.