X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

8-year-old boy's drowning at Bukit Batok Civil Service Club "a tragic misadventure": Coroner's report

16 Oct, 2017
8-year-old boy's drowning at Bukit Batok Civil Service Club "a tragic misadventure": Coroner's report

It was unfortunate that none of the lifeguards even knew that the boy was in the pool.

On May 14 this year, 8-year-old Muhammad Adil Mohd Shafiee jumped into the lap pool at the Bukit Batok Service Club. Four minutes later, he became motionless, with his face down in the water. 

Ten minutes later, lifeguards were trying to revive him to no avail. Resuscitation efforts were continued on the Primary 3 boy until paramedics arrived on the scene. He was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where "he had multiple episodes of cardiac arrest", says The Straits Times.

From here, he was taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital. But the young boy could not pull through, and ten days later, he died. 

8-year-old boy drowns at Bukit Batok Civil Service club, dies 10 days later...

boy drowns at Bukit Batok 8-year-old boy drowns at Bukit Batok civil service club: It doesn't take long for a child to drown. Please read on for safety tips.

What exactly happened? 

An inquest into Adil's death was held yesterday, Monday October 16. Here, the court heard that four lifeguards - including the chief lifeguard Mr Paul Wilfred Santhanasamy - were present at the pool when the incident happened. 

Just after they reported to duty, the lap pool's lifeguard Mr Md Yusman Jumaat got an urgent call that his mother had a fall, so he left. 

There was no replacement for him as Mr Wilfred decided that where lifeguard Mohamad Mossudiq Ashaari's station was - at the pavilion near the drift pool - was high enough for him to see the lap pool.  

The lifeguard used the toilet for a few minutes before the boy drowns in Bukit Batok Civil service club

Mr Mossudiq went to the toilet minutes before they found the boy unresponsive in the pool, say reports. 

According to the lifeguards, no one saw Adil going into the pool. And that if they had seen the boy, they would have definitely stopped them. It was six minutes before associate member Victor Seah even discovered the child

Mr Seah had been walking near the pool when he saw the boy floating, holding onto a pair of goggles. He didn't think much of it, but when he turned back to look again, he knew something was wrong. 

The boy's 19-year-old sister tried to revive her little brother...

He called over lifeguard Rashid Abdul Rahman, who took the boy out of the pool. The child had vomit around his mouth and was unresponsive. Adil's 19-year-old sister was among others who brought him to the deck where resuscitation efforts started. 

The club manager has since stated that now, five lifeguards work there on weekends, and a minimum of two will be on duty. 

They will also give all children bright, pink wristbands for identification, and require parents to closely watch their little ones in the pool. 

In his findings, Coroner Marvin Bay said Adil's drowning was a "tragic misadventure". His death is the 12th accidental drowning of a child aged 12 and below since January 2014, says The Straits Times. 

Partner Stories
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
Celebrity Dad Mark Lee Shares the 3 P's of Raising School Going Children - Parenting Tips, PSLE Preparation & Protecting Your Child’s Eyesight!
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
NTUC First Campus (NFC) Expands Child Support Model to Include Support for Mental Well-being
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Singapore's Dengue Cases Surpass The 35,000 Mark, Highest Since 2013
Level up your child’s markers to unleash their power to create!
Level up your child’s markers to unleash their power to create!

Tragic lessons learned after the boy drowns at Bukit Batok Civil service club

  • Do not allow children to swim alone and without adult supervision, even if they attend swimming classes. 
  • Parents should never overestimate their kids' swimming abilities or underestimate the need for adult supervision. 
  • Remember that drowing can be a silent and swift killer. A child often will not be able to shout for attention if he is facing difficulties in the water and will only be able to keep his head above the water for a short period before he drowns. 
  • It takes under a minute for a child to be overwhelmed by the water, and under five minutes for permanent brain damage and death to occur. 

source: The Straits Times

Parents, do take these tragic stories as serious reminders about your child's safety. 

READ THIS ALSO: Dry drowning: how to save your child from this silent killer

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Nalika Unantenne

  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • 8-year-old boy's drowning at Bukit Batok Civil Service Club "a tragic misadventure": Coroner's report
Share:
  • 5-year-old child nearly drowns at Bukit Batok swimming pool

    5-year-old child nearly drowns at Bukit Batok swimming pool

  • Driver who caused death of little girl in Bukit Batok accident gets jail term

    Driver who caused death of little girl in Bukit Batok accident gets jail term

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

  • 5-year-old child nearly drowns at Bukit Batok swimming pool

    5-year-old child nearly drowns at Bukit Batok swimming pool

  • Driver who caused death of little girl in Bukit Batok accident gets jail term

    Driver who caused death of little girl in Bukit Batok accident gets jail term

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

    I Try Tracy Lee's Hack for Egg Tarts and It's So Easy That Even Kids Can Make it

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.