Girl missing in Sungei Pandan after getting caught in heavy currents

[Lord Nike]

SINGAPORE : Police and civil defence officers are searching for a girl who fell into the Sungei Pandan canal on Sunday afternoon.

They said the search will continue overnight if necessary.

The teenager, along with three others, were swept away by strong currents while trying to retrieve a handphone that had fallen into the waters.

Search and rescue operations were concentrated at the tail end of the river, near Pandan Gardens.

Further downstream where the river meets the sea, Police Coast Guards were deployed to patrol the waters there.

The incident happened just before 4pm.

The four teenagers were believed to have entered the canal, next to Block 182 Bukit Batok, to retrieve a handphone that had fallen into the waters.

Police said the two boys and two girls, aged between 13 and 14, were then swept downstream.

One of the boys managed to swim to safety and was picked up by a foreign worker near the International Business Park.

Shortly afterwards, the other boy and a girl were rescued by police and passers-by between Jurong East and Clementi, after they were spotted clinging on to a buoy.

All three were sent to the National University Hospital where they were treated for minor injuries.

The four-kilometre long river starts from Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 and flows down to the sea.

Eye witnesses said the water level in the river rose rapidly during the afternoon downpour.

Some even described the water in the river as fast-flowing and swift.

Civil defence officers said the river is about two metres deep.

The Meteorological Services had earlier sent out a heavy rain warning, saying there would be heavy showers over southern, western and central Singapore between 3:30pm and 5pm.

Lets see.. i drop a handphone into a deep longkang... and i jump in after it?

Which part of that sentence is even smart?

[Koo]

Happened near my home.......drop a handphone into a deep longkang, how many phone can survive that. There is only a few sport/water proof handphone out there in the market. (outdated modes of Nokia and SE):| If ur handphone drop into toilent bowl till ok, retrieve it but not a bloody big longkang (big canal)L-) Ask for trouble and somemore handphones are cheap be it new or 2nd hand ones.:beatup:

[Miracle]

I think it's the fear of the parents scolding them that might have drove the girl to desperately jump in to get the phone. So parents who are reading this, don't anyhow scold your children, show that you care.

[cyc]

So parents who are reading this, don't anyhow scold your children, show that you care.

"so gal, u drop ur HP into the longkang ah? nvm, papa buy a new one for ya, don't cry lah"

[Koo]

Monday April 23, 6:17 PM


Body of teenage girl who fell into canal found


SINGAPORE : Police have found the body of the teenage girl who fell into the Sungei Pandan canal on Sunday afternoon.
13-year-old Debra Koh's body was found at 1pm on Monday near Jalan Buroh Road, near Pandan Bridge.

The Hillgrove Secondary Two student was clad in a white T-shirt and brown bermudas and was pronounced dead at 1.30pm.

Debra and three of her friends had entered the canal next to Block 182 Bukit Batok just before 4pm on Sunday to retrieve a bag containing their mobile phones.

The two boys and two girls - all aged between 13 and 14 - were then swept downstream by strong currents.

One boy managed to swim to safety and was picked up near the International Business Park by a foreign worker.

A while later, the other two survivors, who were spotted holding on to a buoy between Jurong East and Clementi, were rescued by Police and passers-by.

Police are still investigating the incident. - CNA/ms


So sad to die just because of a handphone... I think that poor girl is not very well off but then again what of all reason go down that canal. (I know her neighbourhood well enough)

[Miracle]

Yupz, I was right, the survivors interviewed feared their parents' wrath, that's why they jumped in.

Btw I think the bag contained 4 phones, coz it was reported that the bag contained all their phones.

[Koo]

Yupz, I was right, the survivors interviewed feared their parents' wrath, that's why they jumped in.

Btw I think the bag contained 4 phones, coz it was reported that the bag contained all their phones.

I suspecting the survivours and the poor girl did not went directly home after school....... must have be to the nearby places to hang around/play. There is a Bukit Batok West Parkland which is not a "kind" place to go as many "ah bengs/stunt cyclist/etc" go there too.:|

[Anomaly]

So where need to pool handphone together one?

[Miracle]

I suspecting the survivours and the poor girl did not went directly home after school....... must have be to the nearby places to hang around/play. There is a Bukit Batok West Parkland which is not a "kind" place to go as many "ah bengs/stunt cyclist/etc" go there too.:|

Yesterday was Sunday, no school. :D

Yea, that place looked quite ulu too, and from the mosaic face, can tell the survivors belong to the category you mention.

[cutieboy86]

RIP to the gal... sad to hear another life is lost due to drowning... this has been happening quite often... juz weeks ago, 2 teenage boys were oso found drown in the open sea and now tis case... i guess the 4 of them must be quite scared to get scolding from their parents and they must have tot that the currents are not strong so juz jump into the canal to retrieve their handphones but juz suay the strong current juz come and swept them away

[Lord Nike]

Don't they have swimming courses in school anymore? When i was in Primary School i was made to take Basic Swimming Course

Then Sec 2 made to take Intermediate Swimming Course

Then Sec 4 made to take Life Saving Course

I know the canal got strong currents but if you flow with it and thread the water your probability of survival increases.

Kids these days have no knowledge of their limits. I thought i was crazy when i was a kid.

[cyc]

we didn't have the luxury of swimming lessons when we were in Primary sch... in Sec Sch, gotta join swimming as ECA to learn swimming...
and yup, gotta learn swimming, u'd never know when u gonna need it... sad that the gal found it out the hard way :( rip

[Miracle]

Don't they have swimming courses in school anymore? When i was in Primary School i was made to take Basic Swimming Course

Then Sec 2 made to take Intermediate Swimming Course

Then Sec 4 made to take Life Saving Course

I know the canal got strong currents but if you flow with it and thread the water your probability of survival increases.

Kids these days have no knowledge of their limits. I thought i was crazy when i was a kid.

Eh... Think different generation. I only encountered compulsory swimming classes in JC.

According to the interview, the gal who drowned doesn't know how to swim.

[Lord Nike]

When i began schooling in the 90's learning swimming was compulsory..

I didn't like it but i'm sure there was hardly any drowning cases involving teens back then.

I only appreciated my knowledge of swimming when in BMT when PTI would kill all those who don't know swimming and kena tekan like crazy.

Since if compulsory swimming lessons is scrapped, that would explain the rising number of teen related drownings.

[cyc]

When i began schooling in the 90's learning swimming was compulsory..

r u sure ur sch is not something like ACS? I don't think neighbourhood schools have their own pool to make that possible

[Lord Nike]

Own school of course don't have swimming pool la. I did come from a neighbourhood school.

Courses were conducted at the nearest Swimming Complex which was Tampines for me

[Koo]

Own school of course don't have swimming pool la. I did come from a neighbourhood school.

Courses were conducted at the nearest Swimming Complex which was Tampines for me


Sounds just like my secondary school but then again swimming was not a ECA.........until 1999. Unbeliveable that my school is so freaking near Bukit Batok swimming complex.:o

Anyway back to topic, the girl's name is Debra and seem to be the only child of the family, what to blow it is for the victim's family.

[cutieboy86]

last time during sec 1, we had to attend compulsory swimming lessons... those who duno will have to attend basic level, and those who know will either take intermediate or advanced level... the gal who drown duno how to swim and tho her frenz try to calm her down and holding to her, she still panic as she is scared of drowning and sad that she still cant escape the fate of drowning... cases of teenagers drowning in the waters are rising recently oso