Missing life jacket may be the cause of kayaker drowning in Sentosa: Coroner's investigation

04 Jul 2024

A kayaker who was heading to the southern islands off Sentosa had likely drowned when the life jacket she was wearing came off after she capsized, an investigation report revealed on 4 July. Ms Chew Jia Tian, a former nurse and founder of a local business, was kayaking with friends off the south of Sentosa on 22 Oct 2023, when she capsized near a line of blue floating security barriers. An expert witness, SP's Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) lecturer Sahwan Osman, told the court that the floating barriers were to prevent illegal entry into Sentosa. With strong tidal conditions, a kayak may be pinned against the barriers. In the "worst case scenario", both kayaker and kayak may be pushed under the sea barriers, he said. "If that happens, there is potential of a drowning situation," he added. He stressed the need for kayakers to check tidal conditions ahead of their activity. 

[Berita Mediacorp]