...drowned in waters off Sentosa: Coroner's inquiry (ChannelNews Asia, 4 July 2024)
I am concerned about the apparent emphasis on the deceased’s
life jacket, which should more accurately be known as ‘personal floatation
device’ or PFD. This distinction is important, as I will elaborate below.
Firstly, my heart goes out to the deceased’s family; I am
only trying to open some different perspectives about this sad case.
The article listed several factors that led to the
unfortunate tragedy:
·
The choppy sea conditions and strong currents.
·
The presence of the blue barriers.
·
Ms Chew’s improperly-worn PFD.
·
The competency of the kayakers – although from
the article, I failed to see the relevance of Ms Chew’s inability to perform a
‘roll drill’. [Incidentally, this is the first instance I’ve come across this
term. A Google search resulted in no hits linking this term with kayaking. The
Singapore Canoe Federation’s website also does not mention this term. I daresay
that even experienced kayakers may have difficulty performing a ‘roll drill’
when pinned strongly against bobbing blue barrels.]
The factors that are not mentioned or at least, not dealt
with in any meaningful way:
·
The group’s familiarity with the locality or
lack thereof – okay, this was mentioned by the expert witness.
·
The group’s apparent lack of kayak safety
equipment like tow ropes, bailers (to remove water from inside the kayaks) or
even whistles – however, they may not have been trained to use such equipment.
·
The group may not have sought advice from
experienced kayakers who have paddled in that area.
The article quoted sports goods retailer Decathlon as
saying: “When a user capsizes, they are meant to face skywards and hold onto
the life jacket with their hands.” I have attained a 3-Star Award in kayaking
and I have never once been instructed in such a way.
It is curious that the Singapore Canoe Federation’s views or
expertise did not feature much in this
article.
I agree that there is a likelihood a PFD can come off a
person’s body as described by Decathlon. However, there are any number of
reasons this can happen and not securing the crotch strap is but one of them.
I personally think that Capt Cheong’s speculation that Ms
Chew had bought a “defective” PFD (I refuse to use the words ‘life jacket’) is
irresponsible. It is plausible that between the time she purchased the PFD from
Decathlon and the tragedy, she may have used it several times and on one of
those outings, the PFD may have become ‘defective’ and she chose to ignore it.
This is why I’m puzzled by the attention lavished on the PFD.
If I was Decathlon, I should be very wary how this report may affect me.
I do recognise that this article is reporting on an ongoing
investigation and “the coroner will deliver his findings at a later date.”
Hopefully, reason will prevail.
-------------------------------------
With regards to this ChannelNews Asia report, I encourage my
practitioner friends to help educate the wider public to reduce misconceptions and
thwart negative notions about our industry.
Some clarifications about the 2-Star Award in kayaking,
overseen by the Singapore Canoe Federation:
In 2-Star Award proficiency, a kayaker is expected to
demonstrate “capsize and wet exit with retention of kayak and paddle’. There is
no requirement for kayakers to know how to tow another kayaker.
Only in the 3-Star Award is a kayaker expected to
“demonstrate 3 reliable consecutive rolls on flat water”. Another skill
required is to “demonstrate the use of long tow” i.e. use a specialised tow
rope to tow another kayak (with the kayaker inside).
[Singapore Canoe Federation, https://scf.org.sg/disciplines/sub/personal-skills-star-award-course)
What is the difference between a Life Jacket and a Personal
Floatation Device?
A Google search will throw up many hits, but these two links
are a good start:
https://mustangsurvival.com/pages/pfd-classifications
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx0YRCvdY7I
If I may offer a summary: Life jackets may be worn by people
across a large spectrum of physiques and abilities, and even helps a person who
may fall unconscious. PFDs are meant for users who have received some training
in a particular water-based activity or work context. They are meant to be
comfortable and allow freedom of movement so the users can go about their
activity or work without undue impediment.
As always, I welcome constructive and considered comment.
[Thanks to Chew Hiap Iuh who alerted me to the article just
as I was preparing to go home for the day, which I changed my mind about and
decided to put up this post.]
