Chew Jia Tian, a former nurse and founder of a boutique soap business, drowned while kayaking off Sentosa Island in October 2023. SINGAPORE - A woman who died while kayaking off Sentosa Island in 2023 had tried to save a fellow kayaker , a coroner’s inquiry found. Ms Chew Jia Tian, 33, noticed that the kayaker had capsized, and paddled over to him so he could hold onto 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 , a boutique that specialises in making and selling natural, handcrafted bath and body products. 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, 2024, 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 on that day 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 onto 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, 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 her cause of death as drowning. Ms Chew was also found to have sustained fractures to her ribs, though the cause could not be determined.
In the previous July hearing , Maritime and Port Authority investigator Captain Cheong Kwee Thiam said Ms Chew could have been wearing a faulty personal flotation device, as part of the crotch strap’s buckle was missing. However, upon closer inspection after the hearing, investigators found 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 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 based on the evidence, he could not determine whether Ms Chew knew about the existence of the crotch straps.
He concluded that the flotation device was not defective, and had the crotch straps 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 onto 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. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now.
