Call for safety measures, changes to floating barrier after fatal kayak accident off Sentosa

SINGAPORE: Notorious, treacherous, a “washing machine” – this is how some kayakers have described the waters at the southern tip of Sentosa where a kayaker capsized and died.

Ms Chew Jia Tian, 33, who went out kayaking with friends in that zone, capsized and went missing on Oct 22. Her body was found off Sentosa two days later.

In the wake of the accident, kayakers who frequent the area told CNA that it is especially tricky to paddle there.

The difficulty navigating the fast-moving currents is compounded by having a blue floating security barrier surrounding the area, which can be a hazard for inexperienced paddlers.

These security barriers have been installed around Singapore since 2014 and are part of measures to secure Singapore’s coast. They help to deter potential intrusions by high-speed craft and illegal immigrants, the police coast guard was quoted as saying in a Straits Times report in 2020. 

The stretch along Sentosa coast was added around 2020. 

Water sports operators on Sentosa said that the barrier does not pose a problem in calmer waters, but from Tanjong Beach heading to the Southern Islands, the currents in that channel can be strong and unpredictable.

Mr Sim Cher Huey, founder of KayakAsia, said: “Many incidents have happened at the exact same area. It’s a hazard for inexperienced paddlers and those without proper safety equipment or knowledge of currents.”

Mr Mervin Low, a kayak fishing enthusiast, said the narrow channel between the islands funnels tonnes of water through, resulting in fast and strong currents, making the waters there one of the most challenging in Singapore to navigate – even without the floating barrier. 

There are also whirlpools, which kayakers and divers refer to as “washing machines”.

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