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Despite the installation of safety nets after a woman was struck by a stray golf ball at Changi Jurassic Mile last month, a young boy recently shaved close when another ball landed near him.
Veteran actor Chen Tian Wen, 57, told The New Paper yesterday that he, his wife and their five-year-old son were visiting the attraction for the first time on November 1, a Sunday, when the incident occurred.
The section of Jurassic Mile, featuring dinosaur exhibits, is part of the 3.5 km Changi Airport Connector that runs from East Coast Park to the airport. Opened last month.
Chen, who has appeared in Mandarin-language dramas and movies, including the popular series Ah Boys To Men and the award-winning Ilo Ilo, said they were taking pictures of his son at the Brontosaurus exhibit when the golf ball flew through the air towards them. .
BOUNCE
“The ball hit the wall opposite the exhibits and then bounced before landing close to the fence, about five feet from my son,” he said.
“We were shocked, my wife and I were shocked, and my son immediately screamed and ducked.”
Chen said another family was closer to the wall when the ball hit it.
“They were shocked too. They jumped and screamed, then ran away,” he said.
After ensuring that his son was not injured, Chen and his family also left the area in a hurry.
On October 22, a foreign domestic worker was hit by a golf ball that flew at her from the adjacent Tanah Merah Country Club (TMCC).
Later, her employer posted on Facebook that the family was walking through Jurassic Mile Zone J when their helper suddenly fell to his knees and began crying.
The family then realized that she had been hit by a golf ball and suffered some bruising.
After the mishap, a spokesperson for the Changi Airport Group (CAG) said it was looking for “additional ways” such as laying nets to “further minimize the risk of stray golf balls” entering the Jurassic Mile.
The TMCC also said it was working closely with the CAG to improve road safety measures.
Safety nets were installed along parts of the Jurassic Mile on October 24.
According to photos taken by Chen, there were safety nets throughout the Brontosaurus exhibit, where his son was about to be hit.
He felt that the safety net, which appeared to be 3-4 meters high, was inadequate if the golf ball could still land on the road.
Chen hoped that more could be done to protect the visitors, such as making the nets taller or possibly building a shelter above the walking and biking track to prevent the ball from falling inside.
He added that missing golf balls are a concern as the Jurassic Mile attracts many families with young children.
“I read that someone had been hit recently … It’s pretty scary because you don’t know when it will happen again.
“I play golf so I know how the ball can fly very far and high before hitting the ground with some force,” Chen added.
“I don’t think we’ll go again. I’ve seen golfers get hit by golf balls before and it can be pretty bad.”
In response to inquiries from TNP, a CAG spokesperson said yesterday: “We cannot comment on this specific case, but as part of planned safety improvement measures, an overhead network was installed on November 3.”
The spokesperson was unable to provide further details on the airline network as of press time.
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