Drowning an accident

Drowning an accident
By Elena Chong

THE drowning of a Singapore Management University (SMU) student at sea off Raffles Marina in Tuas last July was an accident, said a coroner on Tuesday.

Mr Levin Angsana, a member of the SMU Sailing Club, fell overboard while trying to retrieve a sail which had dropped into the water while training for a sailing competition with four others on a keelboat last July 3.

The 22-year-old's body was found floating in the sea two days later.

During an inquiry last month into the incident, the court heard that Mr Angsana had leaned too far out at the bow to retrieve the spinnaker, a triangular head sail, stuck under the boat when he fell.

But he managed to grab the hand rail at the side of the boat. A team-mate tried in vain to pull him up. He also shouted twice at her to let go of him.

A non-swimmer, Mr Angsana was not wearing a life-jacket at the time as it was not compulsory. He was clinging onto the middle of the boat and making his way to the back to climb up when he lost his grip and fell into the sea.

The skipper of the boat, ex-national sailor Renfred Tay Woon Chuan, 23, also tried to reach out to Mr Angsana but they missed each other. Mr Tay asked Mr Angsana if he could swim. When the SMU student said he could not, Mr Tay immediately jumped in and swam towards him to help him stay afloat.

Soon, Mr Tay was pressed under water several times by Mr Angsana that he had no choice but to break off from Mr Angsana and kept an eye on him at arm's length. He was trying to retrieve a life vest when Mr Angsana disappeared.

Describing the drowning as purely an unfortunate accident, State Coroner Victor Yeo said despite the best efforts of his team members to help him get back on the boat and Mr Tay's repeated attempts to help him stay afloat, Mr Angsana eventually drowned before he could be rescued.

'There is nothing to suggest that the sailors had recklessly disregarded or displayed a lackadaisical attitude towards their personal safety during their training on that fateful day,' he said.

He recorded a verdict of misadventure.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_325578.html