A PRIVATE boat carrying 12 people sank four nautical miles off Marina South Pier yesterday evening, leaving one person dead.
Police said they received a call from a passing boat at about 8.15pm informing them that a cabin cruiser had encountered problems while at sea.
It is believed that the cruiser ran a leak and started taking on water before sinking. It is understood that it was not involved in any collision.
The Police Coast Guard was called and rescued eight people from the water. The other four were pulled out of the water by two passing boats.
A 57-year-old man who was rescued by one of the passing boats was pronounced dead an hour later by paramedics at Marina South Pier.
He is believed to have had a history of heart problems.
The other passengers were four men, four women and three girls aged between eight and 10.
One of the women, a 36-year-old, is six months pregnant.
They were all taken to the Singapore General Hospital where they were warded.
The 12 comprised members of three families and were returning to Loyang after a trip to Kusu Island.
The Straits Times learnt late last night that the dead man was a cousin of the boat owner, a man in his 50s.
The boat owner is believed to have just bought the vessel second-hand.
The fibreglass cabin cruiser is about 15m long and 3m wide. The group left for Kusu in mid-afternoon.
It is believed that when they realised their boat was sinking, they were all able to put on their life jackets.
Man dies, as boat sinks with family of 12 returning from Kusu Island
Today Online 23 may 08;
A family of 12 Singaporeans were returning from Kusu Island to Loyang last night, when their craft ran into difficulties and sank.
The group included a pregnant woman and three children.
Police were informed at about 8.15pm that a boat had sunk about 4 nautical miles off Marina South Pier, according to a statement issued last night.
Eight of the passengers were rescued by a Police Coast Guard craft while four others were picked up by two passing craft.
One of those picked up, a 57-year-old Malay man, was pronounced dead at about 9.10pm by paramedics.
The others were conveyed to the Singapore General Hospital for medical treatment.
Police are investigating the incident.
Man drowns when pleasure boat sinks off Marina South Pier
Channel NewsAsia 22 May 08;
A 57-year-old man drowned when the boat he was in capsized while returning from Kusu Island at about 8.15pm on Thursday.
Eleven other members of his family were also on the boat.
Police said the boat encountered problems on its way to Loyang and sank about four nautical miles off Marina South Pier.
Eight passengers were rescued by the Coast Guard, while four others were picked up by two passing craft.
The man was pronounced dead at about 9.10pm. The rest were conveyed to the Singapore General Hospital.- CNA/cl
Previous owner: Boat gave no problems
Sinking could have been caused by loose shaft, or boat hitting coral, say experts
Arlina Arshad, Straits Times 24 May 08;
THE previous owner of the cabin cruiser which capsized on Thursday night said he maintained the boat and it had never given him any problems in the past.
The Poteus OMS, measuring 14.8m by 2.8m, was sold to its new owners on Thursday morning for $45,000, Mr Ong Jong Yang, director of boat dealer Outboard Motor Service, told The Straits Times yesterday.
Mr Ong said: 'Everything had gone through proper procedure. I owned the boat... I was the mechanic and I maintained the ship. When I saw something wrong, I would fix it immediately. I checked the boat after every trip.'
Mr Ong said he had never faced any problem with the boat and used it every day for leisure purposes.
However, a relative of the family who found themselves in the water after the boat sank on Thursday night said the problem was apparently the coupling between the engine and propeller.
Boat experts said the engine controls the propeller through a shaft, which protrudes out of the vessel's bottom. A problem could mean the shaft had come loose, causing water to seep in. But the rate of water coming in would be slow and too little to cause the vessel to sink, they added.
Mr Chee Han Fui, 54, director of Dive Tech Marine, a company which inspects faulty boats, said the cabin cruiser would have more likely hit coral or a submerged object that cracked its hull, resulting in leakage.
Another possibility: A faulty sea cock or a valve fitting located in the vessel's hull which controls the flow of sea water in and out of the vessel.
The pumps used to discharge water from the boat could also have run out of battery power.
The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said there are more than 3,300 licensed pleasure craft here. Craft meant for personal use undergo inspections every three years, but those which are rented out must be checked every year.
An MPA spokesman said the Proteus OMS is 50m below sea level and does not pose any navigational hazard.
'We have, however, requested the owner to remove the sunken craft promptly.'
MPA also said the Proteus OMS has a valid MPA pleasure craft licence, and the steersman has a valid pleasure craft driving licence.
Since 2006, the Police Coast Guard have plucked 132 people out of Singapore waters in 55 incidents.
Its chief investigation officer Chong Choo Ha said many of the cases were in waters south of Singapore.
Cases include people falling overboard, and boats sinking or capsizing in bad weather.
Family's first boat - man dies on their first trip
Esther Tan, Straits Times 24 May 08;
IT WAS the family's first boat and an investment - the plan was to rent it out to fishing enthusiasts here and in Malaysia.
But the first order of business for the excited family a few hours after they took over the $45,000 fibreglass cabin cruiser was to take it out for a spin.
A dozen people - the maximum capacity of the Proteus OMS - got on board and the family set off from Loyang at about 3pm on Thursday. They made a loop round Kusu Island and headed back to the mainland.
The boat started taking in water four nautical miles from the shore and sank within minutes, leaving its 12 life-jacketed occupants, including three children, in the water.
The family was to emerge from the harrowing experience one short - Mr Amin Ahmad, 57, who had a heart condition, died following his rescue.
A close family friend told The Straits Times that the boat had been bought by the family with the intention of making some income from renting it out to fishing enthusiasts, and that Mr Amin was himself one.
The family had planned to take the boat out today and head for Sedili, a town on Johor's east coast, east of Kota Tinggi, where Mr Amin owned a holiday house.
It was also where Mr Amin and several members of the family went for frequent fishing trips during school or public holidays.
About 100 of Mr Amin's relatives and friends showed up at the family's Tampines home yesterday to pay their respects. Many were hesitant about talking to reporters, following the family's request for privacy.
Mr Amin, who was buried in Choa Chu Kang Cemetery yesterday, leaves behind his wife, four sons and grandchildren.
Their hour of hell...
Grandfather's instructions save his family's lives, but he doesn't survive tragic sinking
Teh Joo Lin & Esther Tan, Straits Times 24 May 08;
FOR an hour or so, a family of 12 bobbed around in the southern waters off Marina South Pier.
Sea water had flooded their 14.8m-long fibreglass cabin cruiser when they were heading back to Loyang on Thursday night and the boat sank within minutes.
The Proteus OMS went under vertically. But before it was fully submerged, those onboard slipped on life jackets.
Mr Amin Ahmad, the 57-year-old grandfather of two of the three young girls onboard, took charge, yelling out instructions to his family.
He told his son to take care of everyone. Then, he kept blowing on the whistle on his life jacket, hoping to catch the attention of crews on passing boats.
The choppy waters split the family into two groups - eight huddled together, clinging onto one another, while, 1km away, the other four held on to a life buoy.
Mr Amin's whistling finally caught the attention of an Indonesian supply boat which ferries provisions from shore to big ships.
The Sea Kestrel alerted the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), which called in the Police Coast Guard (PCG).
The crew of Sea Kestrel began fishing out the group of four - who included Mr Amin - from the water.
A PCG boat arrived minutes later and found the other group with the use of night-vision devices.
Senior Station Inspector (SSI) Mohamed Soib Omar said those in the group were 'grabbing onto each other' tightly. The adults kept two young girls, who were crying, in the centre to protect them.
The two girls were the first to be pulled to safety.
Next out was a 36-year-old woman who was six months pregnant. Pulled out of the water, she told the officers: 'Thank you, thank you.'
SSI Mohamed, 49, said: 'They were so weak, they could not help us to help them. We had to use all our strength to pull them up.'
The officers had to move quickly for fear that those still in the sea would lose their grip and be swept away.
SSI Mohamed said: 'Luckily, one of the men (the boat owner) knew what to do. He told them to hold on to each other and not let go, or they could have been swept 2km or 3km away, given the strong currents.'
Once the whole group was rescued, they were given hot coffee and jackets to keep warm. They also switched off the boat's air-conditioning.
The shivering relatives were 'in shock', but they pointed to the other group and told the police of Mr Amin's heart condition.
A second PCG boat transferred Mr Amin from the Sea Kestrel and sped back to shore where medical staff were waiting.
Staff Sergeant Yussrinal Nasir, 30, who was on the second PCG boat, said Mr Amin was unconscious but had a pulse and was still breathing.
However, paramedics who attended to him at Marina South Pier 10 minutes later found he was dead.
Staff Sgt Yussrinal said: 'We took the shortest time possible to get to shore, but our greatest regret was we still couldn't get him back in time.'
Seven of the 11 survivors - including the three young girls - were taken to Singapore General Hospital.
All have been discharged, except a 53-year-old woman, the boat owner's wife, who was warded for observation.
She is said to have swallowed too much sea water - a condition which could affect her health, such as developing kidney problems.
According to a close family friend, the pregnant woman was kicked in her abdomen during the struggle in the sea.
But she refused to be admitted to hospital and attended Mr Amin's funeral yesterday.
As for the $45,000 boat?
It still lies on the seabed, 50m below sea level.
The owner has been told by the MPA to remove it.
Staying alive
Judith Tan, Straits Times 24 May 08;
WHEN a ship capsizes, survivors should swim as far away as possible before it goes under.
Experts say the force with which it sinks can suck a person under.
Lifeguards said it is relatively easy to stay afloat as the density of human bodies is lower than salt water. But trouble starts when people panic. 'Exhaustion and frenzied breathing may cause one to swallow water. A few sips can cause you to drown. It's important to relax,' said a lifeguard of 15 years.
Hypothermia is not an issue here, but hyperthermia, dehydration and skin burns are. With hypothermia, body temperatures fall in cold and wet conditions; hyperthermia is when it absorbs too much heat.
Head of National Water Safety Council Teo Ho Pin said with life jackets on, survivors can keep their clothes on, reducing the risk. 'In normal circumstances, help should arrive within minutes to pick up the survivors, thus reducing the risk.'
Dehydration can set in relatively soon in the sea - from the hot sun, salty sea and no drinking water.
Dr Malcolm Mahadevan, senior consultant with the emergency department at the National University Hospital, said: 'Usually, the first 24 hours is not a major issue as the body is able to compensate for the lack. A person should save energy and fluids as much as possible.'
Save energy by not exerting yourself physically. If you are not wearing a life jacket, 'cling to an upturned boat to stay afloat rather than tread water', he added.