Drowning of schoolboy at East Coast Park ruled ‘tragic misadventure’
Muhammad Suhaimi Sabastian – last seen some 50m from the beach – was the last to be attended to. He was floating near his friend with the life buoy, and had tried to hold on to the latter’s hand, before drifting away. Photo: Wee Teck Hian/TODAY
SINGAPORE — They went to East Coast Park to play skate scooters at about 11.30am on May 8, but the scorching weather led the eight schoolboys to decide, on the spur of the moment, to take a dip in the sea. It was a decision that would cost a 12-year-boy his life.
Ruling the drowning of Muhammad Suhaimi Sabastian — one of the eight students from JurongVille Secondary School — a “tragic misadventure” Monday, State Coroner Marvin Bay cautioned against complacency when swimming in open waters. He noted that the boy had not received any formal training in swimming.
Investigations into his death showed that the area at the East Coast Park, where seven of the boys had gone for a swim that day, had a “No Swimming” sign nearby, the Coroner’s Inquiry heard.
A police inspector testified that the eighth boy “did not feel like going in”, and so remained on shore to look after his friends’ belongings.
As for the rest of the group, they started out with chest-level waters – where they could readily feel the seabed with their feet – before venturing into deeper waters, where they could no longer touch the seabed. When the water level rose above their neck level, the boys panicked and started shouting for help.
Three of them managed to swim back to the shore on their own.
Two passers-by then rescued three of the remaining four boys who struggled to swim back to shore. Two were pulled out of the water by Australian housewife Silvia Claudia Hajas, 47.
Another boy was saved by a life buoy with the help of Mr Tan Kian Choon, 53, who was strolling along the beach with his wife, who then called the police at 12.25pm.
Suhaimi – last seen some 50m from the beach – was the last to be attended to. He was floating near his friend with the life buoy, and had tried to hold on to the latter’s hand, before drifting away, the inquiry heard.
“There is no basis to suspect foul play”, said Mr Bay, referring to the incident as a “grim reminder for beachgoers to never underestimate the potential for harm when they enter the waters off a beach”.
Pointing out that Suhaimi is the 11th child under the age of 12 to drown since January 2014, Mr Bay said: “Generally speaking, a child should not swim, or engage in water-play, alone without adult supervision. Even in a group of children, there should always be designated adult caregivers, providing close and constant supervision.”
He noted that weather conditions at that time were “fair with significant wave height of under 50cm”, and that the tide was not regarded as strong, ebbing from a height of 1.98m at noon to 1.56m at 1pm.
“Unlike the calm water in the controlled environment of a swimming pool, the environment off a beach presents special dangers, including rapidly changing weather, as well as currents and tides, that may render swimming conditions unpredictable,” said Mr Bay.
“Intending swimmers should be taught to only enter where the waves are straight and gentle, remain well within their depth, and to get out of the water, without delay, if they experience a strong current.”
However, generally, it would be best for those who intended to swim in the sea to swim only in lifeguard- monitored areas.
“Lifeguards do more than watch for drowning swimmers,” Mr Bay said, adding that they also monitor the water for changing conditions and sudden hazards.
Following Suhaimi’s death, the National Parks Board will be increasing the number of life buoy stations in East Coast Park to reduce the distance between them. The buoy retrieved by Mr Tan was “a few metres away” from him during the incident, the inquiry heard.
