Boatman’s friends, family attend wake; S’pore River Cruise providing assistance
An image from the video post, Tribute To Fulong! R.I.P Bro. Photo: YouTube
SINGAPORE — The friends and relatives of the boatman who died after jumping into Marina Bay to escape from his burning river taxi turned up at his wake on Thursday (July 14) to pay their respects, although few were willing to speak to the media.
Mr Ong Hock Long’s body was claimed by his family at the mortuary in the morning, hours after the Singapore Civil Defence Force found him in the Singapore River on Wednesday night after a 27-hour search.
At the wake, a middle-aged woman who identified herself as Mr Ong’s aunt told TODAY that the family was coping with the loss. “He is already gone, what else can we do ... It was all very unexpected for us. Things were okay before this happened,” she said.
Another younger woman, who declined to be named, said: “Just let him rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, a video titled “Tribute to Fulong! R.I.P bro” uploaded on Wednesday has been making its rounds on social media. The clip showed pictures of Mr Ong on the job with Singapore River Cruise as a lion dancer and his days as a student, among others.
Commenting for the first time since the incident, the management of Singapore River Cruise said yesterday it has been helping Mr Ong’s family and will continue to do so “at this difficult time”.
The company, which employs about 30 boatmen, also said it was providing support and counselling to staff who were affected by the incident. “We are unable to provide more information pertaining to the incident as it is currently undergoing police investigations,” the company said.
Singapore River Cruise said its bumboats undergo annual checks and have safety measures on board, such as lifebuoys, life jackets and fire extinguishers. “All boatmen under our employment own the Steersman Licence which equips them with operational and safety knowledge. They are professionally trained and competent to operate the boats and react in times of emergencies,” the company said.
