S'pore man who couldn't swim went swimming at Palawan Beach, nearly drowned, sent to hospital

A man who went swimming at Sentosa's Palawan Beach with five friends on the evening of Jul. 31 ended up drowning.

Shin Min Daily News reported that despite being rescued by his friends, his abdomen was swollen, and he was vomiting blood.

The man, who did not know how to swim, regained consciousness after beach staff provided him with oxygen, and he was sent to the hospital.

Struggling in water

Among the group of six, 25-year-old Mou Hao (transliterated) told Shin Min that five of them were on the shore that day.

They then turned and realised that the friend who couldn't swim was somehow in deep water, with only half his head visible above the surface.

"My head went blank for a second, and without thinking, I jumped into the sea to save [him]," Mou Hao said.

Noting that his friend grabbed him tightly in panic, Mou Hao added that this caused them to sink more.

He also choked on water several times, Shin Min reported.

Pulled ashore

It was only when his friend lost consciousness and stopped struggling that Mou Hao could drag him to shore.

With the help of their other friends, they pulled him onto the beach.

After being pulled ashore, he kept vomiting blood, with his abdomen being visibly swollen, Shin Min reported.

His breathing was also very weak when he lay on the beach.

Mou Hao then performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and artificial respiration on him.

He said: "I could smell the blood and vomit in his mouth. He gagged with every breath, but no matter how hard I tried, he didn’t respond."

Sent to hospital

Beach staff arrived shortly after and provided the man with oxygen.

His fingers began to move and he regained consciousness after some first aid.

However, he was still disoriented.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance along Tanjong Beach Walk at about 6:45pm on Jul. 31.

SCDF conveyed one person to Singapore General Hospital.

Mou Hao told Shin Min that the doctor later explained that the X-ray showed his friend had a large amount of water in his lungs.

This caused him lung damage and made him cough up blood.

Called mother and cried

Throughout the ordeal, Mou Hao had been fighting back his emotions, but finally burst into tears when he called his mother at the hospital, he told Shin Min.

He said he felt powerless as his friend kept struggling and pulling him into the water.

"Every time I recall the feeling of myself continuously choking on water, I still feel very scared and at the time, I thought I was going to die there."

After learning of the incident, his mother praised him for his bravery, but expressed concern at such risks.

Assess own abilities before rescuing others

Speaking to Shin Min, a lifeguard with about 30 years of experience said members of the public should assess their own abilities before rescuing someone else.

If not, not only would they be unable to rescue the other person, they may also be dragged in the water by the weaker swimmer.

The lifeguard explained that weaker swimmers tend to grab those around them when they panic in the water.

Even a 10-year-old child could drag an adult in the water, he said.

He also pointed out that the rescue done in the sea is different from that in swimming pools, as factors including the depth of the water, current, and weather changes could increase the risk.

As such, one should not enter the water empty-handed, but first call out to the individual and use lifebuoys or other equipment to assist in the rescue.