‘Pure selflessness’: Coroner on woman who died after trying to save fellow kayaker in 2023
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Ms Chew Jia Tian, founder of a business selling bath and body products, drowned while kayaking off Sentosa island in October 2023.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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SINGAPORE – A woman who died while kayaking off Sentosa island in 2023 had tried to save a fellow kayaker
Ms Chew Jia Tian, 33, noticed that the kayaker had capsized, and paddled over to him so he could hold on to a rope attached to her kayak.
But Ms Chew was unable to overcome the current and eventually drowned
No foul play was suspected, and her death was ruled a tragic accident.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda said on Aug 15 that her decision to save the kayaker was “an act of pure selflessness”.
Her parents wept in court as State Coroner Nakhoda said so.
Ms Chew was a former nurse who founded Rough Beauty
She went missing at sea during a kayaking trip with three other kayakers on the morning of Oct 22, 2023, and her body was found two days later off Sentosa, following a search-and-rescue mission.
On the first day of the inquiry on July 4, Station Inspector Muhammad Ruzaini Osman, the investigating officer from the Police Coast Guard, said Ms Chew, Mr Lee Kuok Ming and Mr Loh Kin Huat had planned to set off from Sentosa that day in October 2023 and kayak to the Southern Islands.
The group set out at about 9.30am. The three kayakers were joined by a fourth, Mr Kum Chee Tong, who had seen the trio paddling towards Lazarus Island.
Along the way, the choppy sea caused Mr Lee’s kayak to capsize.
Upon seeing this, Ms Chew paddled towards Mr Lee to help.
State Coroner Nakhoda said on Aug 15: “(Ms Chew’s) immediate concern was not her own welfare. Rather, it was to render assistance to Mr Lee.”
As Mr Lee held on to a toggle rope attached to Ms Chew’s kayak, she tried to paddle away from the floating sea barriers.
But her strength was ebbing away and her paddling had slowed down, and she told Mr Lee: “Sorry, I can’t.”
He then released his grip and went under the barriers towards the open sea, where he was rescued by a passing craft.
Her capsized, empty kayak was found later.
Though there was no evidence of what happened to Ms Chew after that, the coroner said she must have submerged and, at some point, drowned.
An autopsy determined that the cause of death was drowning.
Ms Chew was also found to have suffered fractures to her ribs, though the cause could not be determined.
In the previous July hearing
However, upon closer inspection after the hearing, investigators found that the buckle was actually intact and tucked into a front pocket of the flotation device.
Ms Chew had bought the device from Decathlon a day before the trip. According to the sporting goods retailer, if the crotch strap is not used, the device may slip off the user.
The flotation device was brought to court. Ms Chew’s father said that if parts of the crotch strap had not been tucked away, his daughter would have found it.
He said in court: “My daughter is a very careful person. If it took the officer so much time to realise the (buckle) was there, I don’t expect my daughter (could have).”
State Coroner Nakhoda said that based on the evidence, he could not determine whether Ms Chew knew about the existence of the crotch strap.
He concluded that the flotation device was not defective, and had the crotch strap been used, it was likely the device would not have come off.
As he listened to the coroner, Ms Chew’s father wiped away tears with a handkerchief and shook his head multiple times. Her mother held on to the personal flotation device and stroked it gently.
The coroner reminded kayakers to read manufacturers’ instructions before using such devices and secure them as intended.
