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The body of a man who went diving on his own in the sea off the Sisters’ Islands Marine Park, was found almost three days after his disappearance.
Police said the 41-year-old man was reported missing after he went diving alone on Sunday, and police were alerted to a call for assistance that day around 12:40 p.m.
A search and rescue operation was then launched by the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), the Singapore Police Force and the Singapore Civil Defense Force.
In a statement updated last night, the police said that the man’s body was recovered from the waters in the vicinity of the islands yesterday around 5.45 p.m.
Police are investigating the unnatural death.
The man was reportedly with his family when they reached the sisters’ islands. The Sisters Islands Marine Park covers some 40 hectares around the Sisters Islands and along the western reefs of San Juan Island and Pulau Tekukor.
The marine park is home to Singapore’s first dive trail.
To get there, visitors rent their own boat from West Coast Pier or Marina South Pier, or charter a private boat.
In a Facebook post on Monday, a man described his experience searching for the missing man.
Using the name Aero Max on Facebook, he said he received a call Sunday requesting a last-minute charter job.
According to him, the call was from a distraught family looking for their missing relative.
The man wrote: “We were on full voyages from 8am, but seeing their distress, we agreed to help them navigate to the Sisters’ islands at 9pm.”
The man said it was pitch black and his team coordinated the search with a dive boat. They later decided to do a land search, he said, adding that the MPA joined the search along the coast with its search lights.
The team then combed the breakwaters, shoreline, and land, but the search was suspended after three hours.
He said the man was last seen wearing a black shirt.
He declined to comment when contacted by The New Paper yesterday.
Diving experts told TNP that currents in Singapore’s waters can be quite strong and unpredictable.
James Costello, director of dive operator Diving Solutions (Asia), said the risk is even higher on Sisters’ Islands, which is “much more exposed” compared to other islands.
Ms Serene Pek, director of Cuddlefish Divers, a company that conducts dive trips in local waters, said currents can be even more erratic during the current monsoon period.
While experts agreed that snorkeling is not a dangerous activity, there are some risks involved.
Ms. Pek said: “It is not a dangerous activity if you are a good swimmer, but you run the risk of surface currents, which can cause you to break out.”
Although it is not mandatory that snorkeling be done in pairs, the experts pointed out that it is advisable to do it, as with any other aquatic activity.
Mr Costello said: “If you want to go alone, you have to understand that the risk will increase. There are some precautions to take, such as equipping yourself with a life jacket and wearing bright colors. Being familiar with the waters would also be advantageous.”
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