But that did not stop the Mountbatten Constituency Sports Club (CSC) from rowing off with the inaugural Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) Masters Series title yesterday.

They were already leading on 78 points after four legs of the series before dipping their oars into the Bedok Reservoir.

But Mountbatten, who also had six internationals who had survived the accident in Phnom Penh's Tonle Sap River, still clinched the crown in style.

They crossed the finishing line in 2min 8.63sec to win the race and grab the $3,000 cash that comes with the trophy.

Republic Polytechnic (2:10.12) and Nanyang Technological University (2:10.78) were second and third respectively in the 500-metre race.

The last leg of the SDBA Masters Series saw 15 of 20 teams competing. The five who pulled out cited insufficient team members and work commitments as reasons for not turning up.

The SBDA launched its Masters Series in March. Its objective was to give affiliates more time to prepare and incorporate a full year plan with other major events such as the Annual Dragon Boat Festival and the Singapore River Regatta.

The Nov 23 Cambodian tragedy claimed the lives of five national dragonboat rowers.

Apart from Loh, Poh and Goh, Reuben Kee and Chee Wei Cheng also drowned when their boat capsized near a pontoon following a race in the Cambodian water festival.