The Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said on Thursday (Nov 9) it will work to review and enhance the safety measures of leisure activities off Sentosa, following the death of a kayaker last month.

On Oct 22, a 33-year-old woman went missing off Sentosa Cove after her kayak capsized as she was trying to help a fellow kayaker. Her body was found two days later.

In a joint statement with the Singapore Police Force on Thursday, MPA said it would “continue to engage the relevant agencies and stakeholders, including the recreation industry and community groups, and will work with them to review measures to enhance safety of recreational water activities off Sentosa”.

The MPA and the police said more updates will be provided soon.

The incident sparked calls for a review of safety measures, with kayakers who frequent the area telling CNA about the difficulties in paddling there.

Some kayakers CNA spoke to criticised the floating barrier used in that area, with some paddlers saying it restricts their ability to ride the current.

In one YouTube video from 2020, a kayaker describes how he was pushed against the barrels by the current and could not free himself. He was then sucked under the floating barrels and drifted out to sea for about 30 minutes before being picked up by a boat.

Other interviewees said that the floating barrels can be a hindrance during emergencies, with one kayaker noting that once the kayak capsizes, the barrier does not give the paddler time and space to recover.

Thursday's statement said that the police routinely engage maritime stakeholders, including the canoeing community, to seek feedback on the deployment of the floating barriers.

Following feedback from the Singapore Canoe Federation, the police adjusted the location of some of the barriers off Sentosa in 2021.

SEA BARRIER 'CRUCIAL' AGAINST ILLEGAL INTRUSIONS

The police also highlighted the importance of these floating sea barriers in deterring and preventing illegal intrusions, including those by terrorists, and the smuggling of prohibited goods and weapons into Singapore.

Sentosa's tourist attractions and hotels, as well as its iconic status, make the island a "high value" target for terrorists planning a sea-based attack, said the police, drawing on the example of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Ten Pakistani gunmen had travelled by boat from Karachi to Mumbai and over four days in November 2008, killed more than 160 people.

Forty illegal immigrants have been arrested over the last two years for attempting to enter Singapore via the sea, said the police.

In 2020, a boat tried to enter Singapore via the Changi shoreline but was impeded and slowed by the sea barriers near Changi Naval Base. This gave the police time to respond before the people on board could flee onshore after landing. Three persons, who turned out to be illegal immigrants, were arrested. CNA

For more reports like this, visit cna.asia.

Source:
courtesy of TODAY

by EMIL CHAN

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