Death of 84-year-old engineer, who fell into sea, ruled a misadventure
SINGAPORE — Without wearing a life vest or being accompanied by a partner, an 84-year-old engineer tried to hop across multiple vessels to reach a tugboat he was tasked to repair, but lost his balance, fell through a 90cm- gap and drowned.
Delivering his findings yesterday, State Coroner Marvin Bay ruled Lim Meng Hoe’s death as a tragic industrial misadventure and called for appropriate safety procedures for servicing personnel, such as the donning of life vests or to be accompanied by a partner at work.
Investigations revealed that on the morning of Oct 31 last year, Lim, who was working for Pan-United Shipping, told a colleague that he was heading to the company’s tugboat to repair its engine turbocharger.
That particular tugboat was among a cluster of vessels berthed parallel to each other at AZ Marine Offshore Services’ shipyard along Pandan Road.
To reach the tugboat he was to repair, Lim had to first climb a gangway to a vessel before crossing another five or six other vessels. To move from one vessel to another, he had to hop over the gaps between the sides of the vessels.
CCTV footage from AZ Marine’s surveillance system showed Lim standing on the fender tyre of AZ Carnation at around 10.20am and stepping across to the adjacent AZ Peony.
His left hand, however, slipped and Lim fell through the 90cm-gap between the two vessels into the sea. No one was with or near him at the time.
A crew member in the vicinity discovered Lim’s body floating in the waters of Pandan River at about noon and alerted the authorities.
The Police Coast Guard officers retrieved his body, and Lim was pronounced dead at 2.57pm.
Based on the video evidence, Ministry of Manpower senior investigation officer Tang Cheng Poh noted that Lim had likely lost his balance, fell through the gap and was later found drowned.
The forensic pathologist had certified his death to be from drowning and no external traumatic injuries were found on him.
Lim’s brother said that while the deceased had asthma, he was able to walk without any assistance. He did not have any issues with his colleagues and had no relational stresses as he had been living separately from his family for decades. Lim had also left the house for work without any complaints of feeling unwell.
In his findings, Mr Bay said there was no evidence to suspect foul play and the sequence of events had been unequivocally documented by the CCTV footage.
“(Lim) slipped and fell, and his unwitnessed consequential drowning is a tragic industrial misadventure,” added the State Coroner.
Given the circumstances leading to Lim’s death, Mr Bay said it may be prudent to consider putting in place appropriate safety procedures for servicing personnel to have safe and ready access to vessels that are moored parallel to each other.
“It is demonstrably unsafe for persons to traverse the length of six vessels by hopping over the gaps between the sides of the vessel,” he added.
It is also especially hazardous for older individuals such as Lim, where he had been crossing alone without a life vest on.
“One is left to wonder if the outcome would have been different had (Lim) crossed the gap with a life vest to provide buoyancy, and a partner to raise the alarm immediately upon his fall,” said Mr Bay.
Other safety measures to consider include the installation of temporary gangways to provide ready access to vessels tethered across a line, he added. SIAU MING EN
