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  Today Online 28 May 07
Hubby missing in boating accident
Gracia Chiang gracia@mediacorp.com.sg

Straits Times 28 May 07
Man missing after kayak accident at Lower Seletar
By K.C. Vijayan

Channel NewsAsia 28 May 07
Man missing after kayak sank in reservoir

SINGAPORE: The search is on for a 32-year-old man who fell into the water after his canoe capsized on Lower Seletar Reservoir on Sunday afternoon. His wife, who was with him in the double-seater canoe, was rescued shortly after the accident happened.

At about 11.15am, Khoka Mohammed Burhan and his wife Noorliza Yahya rented the kayak from the People Association's Water-Venture centre at the reservoir. They were given a safety briefing and life jackets before they set off for a trip on the reservoir. Family members were spending time by the water but when they lost sight of the canoe they grew concerned and contacted staff at the water-venture centre.

A rescue boat was launched and 10 minutes later Madam Noorliza Yahya was found alive on an embankment just near the Orchid Country Club. A search then began in waters near the country club for Mr Khoka.

The Police, Singapore Civil Defence Force, naval divers as well as members of the People's Association and Public Utilities Board all took part in the search.

At around 7.30pm, the kayak was brought back to the water-venture centre along with the two paddles but just one life jacket.

The accident happened just two weeks after the Lower Seletar Reservoir came alive with the opening of the People Association's Water-Venture centre.

It is the first accident at a reservoir since October 2004 when water sports were introduced. But it comes after a recent spate of drownings and just days before the new National Water Safety Council announces its plans to promote water safety.

Activities at the People Association's Water-Venture centre have been suspended pending an investigation. - CNA/ir

Today Online 28 May 07
Hubby missing in boating accident
Gracia Chiang gracia@mediacorp.com.sg

THEY were enjoying a scenic paddle on the Lower Seletar Reservoir when their kayak apparently overturned. But while Madam Noorliza Yahya made it to shore, her husband was still missing as of press time.

Since noon yesterday, a massive search effort involving the Police, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and naval divers has been underway to locate Mr Khoka Mohammed Burhan, 32.

A distraught Mdm Noorliza, 27, clad in a black T-shirt, was seated on the bank of the reservoir surrounded by family members when TODAY arrived at the scene. They declined to speak to the press.

The couple were believed to have rented a double-seater kayak from the People's Association (PA) Water-Venture outlet at Lower Seletar Reservoir at about 11.15 am. At around 12.20pm, the PA was alerted that their kayak was out of sight.

A safety boat was promptly launched, and Mdm Noorliza was spotted on the bank about 10 minutes later. The SCDF deployed its Disaster Assistance Rescue Team in two amphibious vehicles, searching the waters up to 50 metres off the shoreline at the Orchid Country Club, where the boat was believed to have capsized.

Police personnel, meanwhile, combed the reservoir on foot. The search was called off at 8.30pm for safety reasons, and was scheduled to resume at daybreak today.

According to the PA and the Public Utilities Board (PUB), Mr Khoka and Mdm Noorliza were briefed on the proper safety procedures and given safety gear before setting off.

The incident raises the issue of water safety at a time when water sports are being progressively introduced into reservoirs.

The PUB had in April last year launched the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Programme, which aims to beautify and promote the recreational use of water bodies.

A kayaking coach at the Water-Venture outlet, which officially opened just two weeks ago, said it was unlikely for Mr Khoka to have drowned were he wearing a life-vest especially as the waters along that stretch of the reservoir were calm.

Said Mr Ong Khe Wat: "A life vest can hold the weight of two people and can last you for a few days. The cases of drowning I've seen are usually because people who rent kayaks either loosen or remove their life vests when no one is supervising."

Chairman of the newly-set up National Water Safety Council, Dr Teo Ho Pin, echoed this, saying that "with a life jacket, it is quite difficult for anyone to drown unless something like a python dragged him down".

Mr Ong also explained that the couple was in was an "open top" kayak, which in the event of a capsize, means users can easily resurface.

The PA has strict regulations that prevent the public from renting closed canopy kayaks unless they produce a minimum 1-Star Water Proficiency Certificate.

While the PA and the PUB are investigating the incident, public rentals at the Lower Seletar Reservoir outlet will be suspended.

As a rule of thumb, Dr Teo noted, kayak operators have to regularly conduct maintenance checks to ensure their kayaks are in "sea-worthy condition". But it is often hard for operators to determine how competent the customer is, and that is cause for concern because operating a kayak requires "some level of competency", he added.

Meanwhile, the National Water Safety Council will be unveiling its workplan this Tuesday.

Straits Times 28 May 07
Man missing after kayak accident at Lower Seletar
By K.C. Vijayan

A 32-YEAR-old man is missing after the kayak he shared with his wife capsized in Lower Seletar Reservoir yesterday, barely two weeks after a new water sports facility there was opened.

This was also the first accident at a reservoir since activities such as kayaking and other water sports were progressively introduced in reservoirs from October 2004.

A major search was activated after Mr Khoka Mohammed Burhan disappeared at about noon into the waters some 15m off a golf course shoreline at the Orchid Country Club in Yishun.

Mr Burhan and his wife, Madam Noorliza Yahya, 27 - who both wore life vests - were in the double-seater kayak when it suddenly capsized. The weather was fine at the time of the accident.

The couple had hired the kayak from the PA Water-Venture outlet at about 11.15am. But they apparently rowed out of sight from the outlet to the waters off the country club on the opposite side of the reservoir, where the accident happened.

When the kayak capsized, Mr Burhan apparently managed to push his wife onto the boat, while he kept on swimming in the water. But he could not keep up and suddenly just stopped and disappeared.

It is understood he may have lost strength, having rowed the boat for some distance before the mishap happened. His life jacket had apparently loosened and was later recovered.

Madam Noorliza then struggled to steer the kayak towards the shore and waded onto an embankment. There, she became hysterical, and her repeated screams of distress were heard by a worker some 40m away, who had been working at the golf pitch.

'I ran down to her and saw she was crying very loudly,' said the 39-year-old worker. 'She said she wanted to call for help, and I lent her my handphone,' he said.

At about 12.15pm, some 20 Singapore Civil Defence Force officers arrived at the scene, including divers from the Disaster and Rescue Team, together with two amphibious vehicles. They combed an area within a 15m radius where the man had disappeared.

Later in the afternoon, at about 2.30pm, the search broadened as divers from the SAF Naval Diving Unit joined in the search.

Meanwhile, scores of policemen fanned outwards on both sides of the shoreline to search for the missing man as well. Mr Burhan's wife kept sobbing and was comforted by her father, siblings and others who kept watch at the scene.

A relative told The Straits Times: 'She kept repeating, 'My husband called me, my husband called me'.'

Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Lee Bee Wah arrived in the afternoon and helped console the woman. She later told The Straits Times: 'The family has asked us not to stop searching until we find him. We will do our best.'

The MP added: 'This is very unfortunate. The paddle centre just opened two weeks ago and this has happened.'

Ms Lee said the missing man's wife told her they loved sea sports and this was their second trip there. It is understood that they hired the kayak for two hours instead of the usual one hour.

'She told me he was a very strong swimmer,' added Ms Lee.

Madam Noorliza, who is Singaporean, and Mr Burhan, who is an Indian national and a permanent resident, got married about a year ago. They do not have any children.

Police spokesman Stanley Norbert said the search was called off last night because of the darkness and for safety reasons. The search will resume this morning. Public rentals at the water sports facility at the reservoir have been suspended.

Straits Times 28 May 07
Was vest worn properly?
Missing man was wearing life jacket but it was found floating in reservoir
By Tham Yuen-C

MR KHOKA Mohammed Burhan had on a life vest - a must for those engaging in water sports at the reservoir. Yet, he went missing in the waters of the Lower Seletar Reservoir yesterday when the kayak he was sharing with his wife, Madam Noorliza Yahyan, capsized.

His life vest was later found floating in the reservoir.

One reason water-safety experts gave: The vest might not have been worn properly. 'If you put on a personal floatation device like a life jacket, it should keep you afloat for a long time,' said Mr Richard Tan, honorary secretary-general of the Singapore Life Saving Society.

In fact, life jackets supplied by water sports operators can typically keep afloat a 100kg weight for at least 24 hours.

But sometimes, these life jackets could fall off. The most common cause: wearing life jackets that are too loose, not clipping them on properly, or not replacing old or damaged life jackets.

A spokesman for the People's Association said equipment at the Water-Venture outlet where the couple rented their kayak was almost 'brand new'. The outlet had opened just two months ago.

Under the safety rules, people hiring kayaks are allowed into the water only after they have put on their life jackets and gone through a safety briefing, he added.

Yesterday's accident was the first at a reservoir since activities such as kayaking and dragon boating were introduced in the water catchment areas in October 2004.

But drownings have occurred just outside reservoirs when tidal gates were lifted. In 2005, a 16-year-old boy was swept out to sea about 100m away from the Lower Seletar Reservoir, near the Lower Seletar tidal gates.

The Public Utilities Board (PUB) said areas designated for water activities are selected after water conditions are studied. And they are always located far away from tidal gates, which regulate the flow of water in and out of the reservoir.

A PUB spokesman said: 'The waters in reservoirs are generally calm. Before any water activities are allowed in a reservoir, studies are carried out to assess the suitability of the location to ensure public safety. These are carefully sited in areas away from reservoir operations.'

In Parliament last week, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim said the Government will put up a siren system to warn people of storms ahead at waterways and reservoirs.

This followed the canal drowning of a 14-year-old girl who was swept away in Sungei Ulu Pandan after a sudden downpour last month.

Said Mr Tan: 'Reservoirs usually have quite still waters, but every body of water is a potential drowning hazard. Drowning can happen in inches of water, it doesn't have to be at the sea or a reservoir.'
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