Missing kayaker was trying to rescue companion when she was 'swept under' by currents off Sentosa
A kayaker went missing off the waters of Sentosa near blue floating security barriers on the morning of Oct 22, 2023.
BY
CHEW HUI MIN
Published October 23, 2023SINGAPORE — A woman who went missing off Sentosa on Sunday morning (Oct 22) was trying to help a fellow kayaker when she capsized and was "swept under" by currents, a friend who helped in the search operation told CNA.
Mr Sim Cher Huey, founder of Kayakasia, was one of those in the community who helped in the search.
He told CNA that two kayakers, a man and a woman, capsized between 9.30am and 10am on Sunday off the southern tip of Sentosa, near a line of blue floating security barriers.
"It happened at this particularly tricky place where the currents - the moving water meet these stationary barriers," he said.
The male kayaker had capsized and the female kayaker went to help, but also capsized. "Both were swept under by currents," he said.
They were part of a group of three who had launched from Sentosa with their own sea kayaks towards the Southern Islands. A fourth sea kayaker happened to meet them on the waters and joined, he said.
The male kayaker was rescued by a passing boat, but the woman remains missing. Both capsized kayaks were eventually recovered, said Mr Sim.
Mr Sim and the group he was leading were paddling back from the Southern Islands, at about 11.45am, when he met one of the four sea kayakers and learnt that the missing woman was a friend of his.
He sought permission from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to join the search operation and informed her husband of what had happened.
He paddled out with one of the sea kayakers to search along the paths of known currents, and possible handholds, such as the anchor chain of tankers or boat tyres that someone in the water could cling on to, he said.
"I decided to join a search because we're familiar with how the currents are flowing. When somebody gets into the water, it's a possibility they are just floating with the current," he said.
"And with kayaks, we are also able to examine objects (more easily) rather than the ships the coast guard and MPA have. We went around to the anchorages and looked at the anchors and tyres that were tied to the boats to see whether anybody was clinging on to those handholds."
The kayak search lasted for one-and-a-half hours until the authorities called them back.
"Today I went out because I had another trip, and I was still looking around," said Mr Sim.
The search operation for the missing kayaker is ongoing, MPA said in its latest update on Monday. CNA
