Yap kheng hoe, did you film this FT boy drown? would you have put down your camera to save him or continue filming?
Boy feared drowned after drain fall
By Monica Kotwani | Posted: 01 June 2011 1821 hrs
SINGAPORE: Search and rescue operations are under way for an Indonesian boy who was swept away after he fell on Wednesday afternoon, into a drain swollen with rain water.
The 15-year-old boy, identified only as William, was walking along a flooded section of the road at the intersection of Martaban Road and Minbu Road when he fell into the drain.
He was with two other boys -- a Singaporean and an Indonesian -- at the time of the incident.
Singaporean student Brian Lee was one of the two boys with William when he fell at about 2:30pm.
He said his Indonesian cousin and William's friend ran towards the drain along Mandalay Road, where William had been swept to.
There, Brian's cousin tried to rescue William by reaching out with his toes.
But the gushing water proved too strong.
The drain was about a metre wide.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received a call about the incident at about 4pm on Wednesday.
Eighteen personnel along with several vehicles including an ambulance and a water rescue vehicle were despatched.
Ten SCDF rescuers are now searching the canal, which is filed with waist-deep water, along Whampoa West and Serangoon Road.
They are following the path of the drain to look for him.
-CNA/wk