A coroner's inquiry found that the woman who died in a kayaking incident in 2023 while attempting to save a fellow kayaker drowned after her life jacket came off due to an unsecured crotch strap.

A hearing on Aug. 15 revealed that Chew Jia Tian, 33, noticed that the kayaker had capsized and paddled over to let him hold onto a rope attached to her kayak.

However, Chew struggled against the current and eventually capsized and drowned because her life jacket was not properly secured, reported The Straits Times (ST) and CNA.

No foul play was suspected, and the coroner ruled her death a tragic accident.

Incident during kayaking trip

Chew went missing at sea during a kayaking expedition with three others on October 22, 2023.

Her body was found and retrieved from the waters off Sentosa Island by the Singapore Civil Defence Force at 3pm on Oct. 24.

Chew, and her two friends planned to depart from Sentosa around 9:30 a.m. to kayak to the Southern Islands.

They were joined by a fourth kayaker who saw them paddling toward Lazarus Island.

When choppy seas caused a friend's kayak to capsize, Chew immediately paddled over to help. The friend held onto a toggle rope attached to Chew’s kayak as she tried to paddle away from floating sea barriers.

However, her strength waned, and she reportedly told him, “Sorry, I can’t.”

The friend then let go and moved under the barriers toward the open sea, where a passing vessel eventually rescued him.

Drowned

The coroner stated that while there was no direct evidence of what happened to Chew afterwards, it was believed that she likely submerged and drowned.

An autopsy confirmed drowning as the cause of death.

Chew was also found to have fractured ribs, though it was unclear whether these injuries occurred before or after her death.

The coroner described Chew's attempt to save her friend as “an act of pure selflessness” and deemed the accident a tragic loss of someone in the prime of her life, simply pursuing her interests.

Life jacket not properly secured

A Maritime and Port Authority investigator noted in a previous hearing that Chew might have been wearing a faulty personal flotation device.

Chew's father questioned the device's functionality, but later investigations revealed that the buckle had been tucked into a front pocket and improperly secured.

Chew's father believed his daughter would have found the crotch strap if it had not been tucked away.

“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).”

The device was purchased from Decathlon a day before the kayaking trip.

Decathlon noted that without using the crotch strap, the device might slip off the user.

Chew's father was crying as he listened to the coroner, ST reported.

Floatation device not faulty: Coroner

The coroner concluded that the device was not defective and would likely have stayed on if the crotch strap had been used.

He urged kayakers to read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for their equipment and ensure it is properly secured.

The coroner also highlighted precautions to minimize the risks of kayaking in Singapore's waters, including:

• Complying with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's circular No. 11 of 2011 on "The use of canoes and kayaks within the port limits of Singapore", particularly by always using a personal flotation device and not paddling into prohibited areas
• Being aware of the location you are kayaking at, including understanding the sea state, tidal and current conditions
• Avoiding challenging sea areas like the vicinity of the Sentosa Beacon and the Buran Channel if you are an inexperienced kayaker
• Being aware of the difficulties that can be encountered as a result of currents pushing kayaks towards floating security barriers and what can be done to minimise this
• Always ensuring that appropriate safety equipment is used and reading manufacturers' instructions for personal flotation devices to ensure they are suitable for planned trips
• Securing such devices as their manufacturers intended and using and securing crotch straps if they are present
• Performing checks to ensure that all kayakers in a group have the appropriate safety equipment and that flotation devices are fitted properly using all intended straps

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