Man, 24, dies after lightning strike while paddleboarding at Pasir Ris Beach, 7 others sent to hospital

A 24-year-old man has died after he was struck by lightning while stand-up paddleboarding in the waters off Pasir Ris Beach on Jul. 5.

In response to Mothership's queries, police confirmed they were alerted to the incident at 131 Pasir Ris Road at about 4:50pm on Jul. 5.

The man was taken unconscious to the hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Seven others, aged between 13 and 54, were taken conscious to the hospital.

Preliminary investigations found no evidence of foul play, and police investigations are ongoing.

Separately, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said six people, including one who was unconscious, were taken to Sengkang General Hospital.

Two others were conveyed conscious to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

Witness accounts

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the group of eight, comprising five males and three females, had been kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding when the incident occurred.

A lightning strike had suddenly hit the 24-year-old man while he was paddleboarding, causing him to lose consciousness.

Noticing what had happened, people on the shore went to help and brought the group safely back to land.

They also called for emergency assistance and administered first aid, but the man remained unconscious.

A witness who took part in the rescue, 40-year-old Muhammad Fairuz, told Zaobao that he had been fishing at the beach when the incident happened.

He said five members of the group suddenly paddled back to shore, with one of them shouting that his brother had been struck by lightning and asking someone to call for an ambulance.

"There were still three people at sea, so another person and I got into two kayaks and paddled out to bring them back," he said.

Fairuz added that five members of the public took turns performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious man until SCDF officers arrived.

He said the man appeared to be foaming at the mouth and unresponsive, adding that his clothes appeared to have been burnt and torn following the lightning strike.

Another witness, who was having a barbecue nearby, said she saw the man lying unconscious on the ground.

"His hands and feet looked purple and bruised," she said. "There were two women beside him, whom I believe were his family members, and they were crying."