The body of a 44-year-old father of two, who had gone missing after reportedly being attacked by a crocodile while collecting lotus flowers, was recovered from a canal near a Bellanwila lake this afternoon (29), the Boralesgamuwa Police said.

The deceased was identified as Madura Jinendra, a resident of Kananwila, Horana.

Police said the man regularly visited the Bellanwila and Bellanthara areas, where he earned a living by collecting flowers.

He had entered a canal near the lake on the 27th to collect lotus flowers and disappeared a short while later.

Following a notification from residents regarding his disappearance, police conducted a search in the area but were unable to locate him that day.

However, police received information this afternoon that a body was floating in a canal approximately 100 metres from the location where he had reportedly disappeared.

The body was subsequently recovered.

The Boralesgamuwa Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.