A 74-year-old woman drowned after slipping while walking in a condominium pool. By the time her swimming coach arrived, she had been submerged for over 12 minutes. She was pronounced dead in the hospital shortly after.
The incident occurred on the morning of July 31 last year at around 11:23am, at Yong An Park, a condominium located in the River Valley area, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
An inquiry into her cause of death was held on Wednesday (May 28) at the coroner’s court, which her daughter attended.
Slipped in Pool
According to the investigation officer, the deceased was Ye Xiuzhen (transliterated), a 74-year-old retiree from China who had only moved to Singapore with her family in January that year.
On the day of the incident, Ye had scheduled a one-on-one swimming lesson at the condo pool. She arrived early, put on a flotation ring around her waist, and entered the 0.9-metre-deep pool to practise walking in the water.
As a beginner, the water level reached her chest. After about a minute of walking, she suddenly slipped backwards and began struggling face-down in the water.
She attempted to swim to the edge, and although she managed to reach it after two minutes, she then became motionless in the pool. CCTV footage recorded the time as 11:23am.
Roughly 12 minutes later, her swimming coach arrived, pulled her from the water and began CPR immediately. Security personnel fetched an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and called an ambulance.
When paramedics arrived, Ye was unconscious and rushed to Singapore General Hospital. Despite resuscitation efforts, she was pronounced dead at 12:40pm. The cause of death was confirmed as drowning. The coroner will issue findings at a later date.
Expert: No Law in Singapore Requiring Lifeguards at Pools
A sports safety expert from Sport Singapore testified that there is no law in Singapore requiring all pools to have lifeguards on duty.
The expert said drowning can happen in an instant, and it’s advisable for beginners and elderly individuals to be accompanied by someone who can respond quickly in an emergency.
They explained that drowning victims often panic and instinctively try to breathe, forgetting they may actually be in shallow water and capable of standing up.
In Ye’s case, although her coach had previously taught her some basic swimming techniques, the CCTV footage showed she panicked and thrashed aimlessly. By the time she reached the edge of the pool, she appeared to be completely exhausted.
Ye’s daughter asked whether lifeguards are required at private condo pools. The expert clarified that there is no regulation mandating lifeguards at all private pools, though some condominiums may hire them during peak hours.
