20-year-old man drowns at East Coast Park, another person found alive 50m from shore

Michelle Chin
The Straits Times
Dec 12, 2023

One man was suspected to have drowned in the waters off East Coast Park, while another person was found alive 50m from the shore at the weekend.

The police said they were alerted to a case of suspected drowning on Dec 10 at about 7.10pm, and that the body of a 20-year-old man was retrieved from the waters on Dec 11.

Preliminary investigations indicate no suspected foul play. The probe is ongoing.

In a photograph provided to Lianhe Zaobao by a reader, there was a blue police tent set up and an area cordoned off. Onlookers were gathered behind the cordon.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the same case on Dec 10 at about 7.10pm.

The SCDF said it was a water rescue incident for two people reportedly missing in the waters off East Coast Park, near East Coast Lagoon Food Village.

SCDF firefighters, the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, and marine vessels were deployed to search for the two people.

“With the assistance of the Police Coast Guard, one of the missing persons was located in the seawater about 50m from the shore,” said the SCDF.

That individual was then rescued.

The person was assessed by an SCDF paramedic, and declined to be taken to hospital.