Mr Jon Lau, 45-year-old, who was the managing director of Strategic Data Governance had gone fishing on a boat near Pulau Bukom. He was suspected of falling into the sea during a big storm. He fell into a coma after being rescued and was pronounced dead after being sent to the hospital. Tan Lai Koon, who was a fishmonger described the incident for about six minutes: “I told him to thread in the water with his feet, and I threw a rope to pull him up, but he shook his head and said that he had no energy.”
Mr Tan described that the wind was quite strong at that time, and he believed that Lau lost his balance and fell into the sea when the waves hit the hull.
“I ran to him immediately to pull him, but he was washed away by the current for a certain distance, and I couldn’t reach him.”
He then stretched out a long stick and told him to grab it, “I told him to kick the water with his feet, and I pulled the rope to pull him up, but he shook his head and said he had no energy.”
The two teenagers on the boat then put on a lifebuoy and jumped into the sea to try to save Lau. Tan cut the anchor rope with a single blow, drove the boat to the place where the three of them drifted, and pulled them aboard.
He said: “The whole process was about five or six minutes. He was in a coma when he was rescued. I helped him with CPR. He vomited a lot of water but did not wake up.”
Chen Laikun immediately drove to the nearby Singapore Yacht Club for help. The boat trip took about 10 to 15 minutes. As soon as he arrived, he shouted for help. Several club employees stepped forward to help with first aid. Soon after the police and ambulance arrived and Lau was sent to the hospital for rescue.
The incident was confirmed when the police were questioned. After the police arrived at the scene, a 45-year-old man who was unconscious was sent to the hospital and was later declared dead. The police are investigating this unnatural death case.