NSF's heatstroke death: SAF captain discharged over incident dies

Tan Baoshu, 33, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal last month. Corporal First Class Dave Lee, 19, died of heatstroke on April 30, 2018, after doing an 8km fast march days earlier.
Tan Baoshu, 33, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal last month.
Tan Baoshu, 33, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal last month. Corporal First Class Dave Lee, 19, died of heatstroke on April 30, 2018, after doing an 8km fast march days earlier.
Corporal First Class Dave Lee, 19, died of heatstroke on April 30, 2018, after doing an 8km fast march days earlier.

The army captain who was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal over his role in the death of full-time national serviceman Dave Lee in 2018 died yesterday.

Tan Baoshu, 33, had been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, and was granted the discharge on application by the prosecution, the Attorney-General's Chambers said last week.

Court records showed that District Judge Lim Tse Haw had given the order on Jan 8, about a month before his death.

A check on the Mandai Crematorium website showed that he is scheduled to be cremated next Monday.

Tan was the supervising officer of an 8km fast march on April 18, 2018, which Corporal First Class (CFC) Lee, 19, participated in.

CFC Lee, a guardsman from the 1st Battalion Singapore Guards, had collapsed after the march at Bedok Camp and suffered a heatstroke.

He later died on April 30.

Tan, then the Officer Commanding of the battalion's Support Company, was charged in October 2018 with causing death by performing a rash act, including failing to evacuate the victim in a timely manner.

He was also accused of disallowing the necessary treatment for CFC Lee.

Asked about Tan's death, CFC Lee's mother Jasmine Yeo told The Straits Times that she was sad, but did not say more.

Earlier yesterday morning, Ms Yeo had posted on Facebook: "It's sad to (have) lost 2 sons in this way... RIP... Hope you are in a better place with Dave!"

A family member declined comment when approached at Tan's wake.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 14, 2020, with the headline NSF's heatstroke death: SAF captain discharged over incident dies. Subscribe