French tourist found dead off Malaysia resort island
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 04, 2014 10:26 AM
KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian authorities on Thursday found the body of a French tourist who went missing two days ago while snorkeling off a resort island hit by a string of tragedies.
The body of Jerome Laurent, 24, was found in the waters off Tioman island near the area where he had been snorkeling, local police chief Johari Jahaya said.
He declined to comment further, adding the man's body had been sent to a hospital for an autopsy.
A French embassy official said authorities had informed them of the death and it was in touch with his family.
Tioman, located off the Southeast Asian country's east coast, is known for its pristine beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving sites, and jungle-clad hills.
But the Frenchman is just the latest tourist to lose his life on the island.
Briton Gareth Huntley was found dead in June after going missing on a jungle hike on Tioman.
Malaysian police say they are still awaiting autopsy reports to determine the cause of his death.
Another French tourist, Stephanie Foray, was found dead on the island in 2011.
In July, a court sentenced a Malaysian shopkeeper to death for her murder.
Despite several recent incidents, violent crime against tourists and expats remains generally rare in the Muslim-majority country.