The body of a Saudi businessman who vanished while on a vacation in Uganda was found near the country's River Nile (aka the White Nile) on Tuesday, France 24 reported.
Identified as Mothker Al Subaie, the tourist died of drowning after slipping into the river while trying to click a selfie. Officials said the man was touring the Kalagala Falls area in central Uganda with a group of friends when the tragic incident occurred.
In a statement to AFP, the official spokeswoman for the Ugandan Police Hellen Butoto, said:
"The Saudi national was on a tour on (sic) Uganda. He drowned as he was taking a selfie on the River Nile and the water swept him away. The tourist slipped because the surface is wet and he had leaned backwards to take a selfie of fast-running water in the background."
"The body has been recovered by the police marine unit and taken for post-mortem," she added.
Al Subaie was first reported missing by his family late on Saturday. The Saudi Embassy in Uganda had joined in the efforts to search for him before his body was found.
In the wake of his disappearance, Saudis had launched a hashtag to help share information on the case. Through it, tweeps had posted about Al Subaie being last seen near the river and having uploaded several videos of it on Snapchat before going offline.
Al Subaie's body will now be repatriated to the kingdom
As the unfortunate news of his death now makes the rounds online, thousands are mourning his loss and sending their condolences to his family.
Saudi media outlets said the businessman's brothers identified his body and are working with local officials to bring him back home for burial. The kingdom's embassy in Uganda also confirmed Al Subaie's death and said they're following up on the repatriation process.
Selfie-related deaths are on the rise worldwide
A 2018 global study revealed that the quest to snap extreme selfies led to the death of 259 people between 2011 and 2017. Those studies "found that selfie-related deaths are most common in India, Russia, the United States and Pakistan."
It also revealed that 72.5 percent of all selfie deaths reported involve male victims.
The alarming numbers have moved many to call on officials to introduce "no selfie zones" in dangerous areas including "the tops of mountains, tall buildings and lakes."