A 70-year-old Pulau Ubin boatman died on Wednesday (1 July) after he was fished out from the waters near the island, the police said.
Mr Huang Liming (transliterated from Mandarin) reportedly fell into the water and hit his head on the rocks, according to 8world News.
Source: Google Maps
In response to queries from MS News, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it received a call for assistance from Pulau Ubin at about 1.55pm on 1 July.
A 70-year-old man was retrieved from the waters and sent to the hospital in an unconscious state.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which was alerted at about 2pm, told MS News that it received a call for assistance from 91 Loyang Way.
This is the address of the Police Coast Guard Loyang Base and the Loyang Marine Fire Post.
Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force on Facebook
SCDF conveyed the elderly man to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.
No foul play is suspected, based on preliminary investigations.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Mr Huang leaves behind his 64-year-old wife and two children, a son and a daughter.
At the wake in Tampines, his 30-year-old son told 8world that his father had visited a clinic for a check-up at 7am on Wednesday.
He bought breakfast back for the family and even woke his daughter up to get ready for work.
The incident happened after Mr Huang had delivered goods to Pulau Ubin and was preparing to leave after dropping them off, his son said.
As the tide was low, he had to push the boat out from shore but likely lost his footing and hit his head on some rocks before falling into the water.
Source: Google Maps. Photo for illustration purposes only.
The younger Mr Huang said his father had floated in the water for about 20 minutes before he was found by some workers.
When they pulled him out from the sea, his heart had stopped beating and his lungs were completely filled with water.
The police arranged for a boat to send him to the mainland, where SCDF conveyed him to the hospital.
When the family was informed, his son said they was “absolutely speechless and in shock”.
Though they “couldn’t accept it”, they had no choice but to face reality, he added.
He also hoped the authorities would review the safety of the jetty at Pulau Ubin and add facilities like handrails to prevent similar accidents from happening again.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Google Maps.