By GABRIEL FITO
POLICE in Vanimo are investigating the mysterious death of an Asian at Waramo village outside the border town during Christmas day.
It was alleged that the deceased was found by divers after being alerted by his friends who failed to see him surface some minutes after he jumped into a waterfall.
Acting provincial police commander senior Insp Sakawar Kasieng said the man was found in a sitting position underwater with hands resting on his thighs.
Insp Kasieng said the man with six other Asians went for a swim at the waterfall when the tragic accident occurred.
He said the deceased was the first person to jump into the deep waterfall while the others kept watch but he never returned to the surface after several minutes.
Kasieng said his friends who suspected that he must have been trapped underwater alerted the villagers who found him in the sitting position under the water.
He was pulled out of the water by villagers but he was already dead.
The body of the deceased, who was identified by police as 22-year-old Chit Koko from Malaysia, has been placed at the Vanimo General Hospital morgue for a post mortem to be conducted.
Mr Kasieng said the deceased was an employee of the Vanimo Forest Products.
Meanwhile police are also investigating a fire which gutted down a house at Gaunda settlement at Vanimo.
Mr Kasieng said the owners of the house were not present at the time of the incident and all their belongings were lost in the fire.
He said the cause of the fire was not known but police were investigating.