Two friends who were reported missing by their families were found drowned at a fish pond near Jalan Ipoh-Lumut.

Batu Gajah district police chief ACP Shaharon Anuar Abd Latif said Mohd Yati Yeop Ahmad, 42, and Mohammad Zhairii Shahuddin, 27, were hanging onto each other when they were found 10 feet from the surface of the water at the edge of the pond at 8.28am Monday.

According to him, Mohd Yati had gone to Mohammad Zhairii's house in Gopeng on Saturday, where they had watched the football game between the national team and Barcelona until almost 11pm.

"They went to the pond in a Perodua Kancil car around 4am. However they failed to return and family members subsequently lodged a report at the Pusing police station after finding only the car at the pond," he said when met at the forensic unit at Batu Gajah Hospital.

Shaharon said the search and rescue team comprising Batu Gajah Fire and Rescue and Ipoh Scuba Unit personnel found a fishing net and slippers in the pond before locating the bodies. "One had a gash on his head," he added.

Meanwhile, Batu Gajah Fire and Rescue chief Halid Md Zin said six personnel in two boats scoured the pond which stretched almost one hectare after receiving a distress call at 7.20pm on Sunday.