NSF die during duty was classified as misadventure

[†††††]

NSF's death ruled a misadventure
He was trapped by sliding hydraulic door on navy ship
By Elena Chong & Jermyn Chow

A FULL-TIME national serviceman was carrying out a routine check on a Republic of Singapore Navy landing ship tank last year when he was trapped by a sliding hydraulic door.

Lance Corporal Mar Teng Fong was evacuated but died three days later in hospital of traumatic asphyxia, with chest injuries.

Yesterday, State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid recorded a misadventure verdict after ruling out foul play and mechanical failure in the 20-year-old NSF's death.

The coroner's inquiry heard that on Nov 18 last year, Lance Cpl Mar was doing a maintenance check of engineering systems on board the RSS Persistence.

The ship was anchored off Changi Naval Base when the engineering naval specialist was told to check the machinery in the aft engine room and steering gear compartment, at about 11.40pm.

When Lance Cpl Mar failed to return, a colleague went to investigate and found him trapped between the door and its frame, unconscious. The hydraulic door connects the ship's engine room and propeller shaft compartment.

His colleague could not open the door with the control lever and pushed both the lever and the door several times. The door moved slightly, and Lance Cpl Mar fell backwards onto the deck.

He was evacuated by helicopter to Singapore General Hospital but died three days later.

The coroner accepted police investigation findings that Lance Cpl Mar could have accidentally hit the lever which opens and shuts the heavy hydraulic door.

The Republic of Singapore Navy has since installed a CCTV camera at each of the two hydraulic doors on board all landing ship tanks (LSTs).

These cameras will monitor 'personnel movements on board the LST', said Defence Ministry spokesman Desmond Tan yesterday. In another measure introduced since the accident, a buzzer will go off in the engine room if any of the doors is left open.

Also, servicemen now carry out maintenance checks in pairs, and have to carry walkie-talkies and inform their superiors before and after passing through the hydraulic doors, added Colonel Tan.

Lance Cpl Mar's parents, who live in Johor Baru, and an aunt attended the coroner's inquiry.

His aunt said he was two weeks away from completing his NS when the incident happened.

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[wahlaneh]

wahlaneh...
1st, my sincere condolence to his bereaved family.
2nd, my salute to LCP Mar for dying for the nation while on duty.
为国捐躯 - 敬礼！

 

[Ramseth]

Lance Cpl Mar's parents, who live in Johor Baru, and an aunt attended the coroner's inquiry.

Parents living in Johor Baru and son serving NS in Singapore?

His aunt said he was two weeks away from completing his NS when the incident happened.

Could have been in ROD mood and a tat too careless. :(

 

[wahlaneh]

wahlaneh...
1st, my sincere condolence to his bereaved family.
2nd, my salute to LCP Mar for dying for the nation while on duty.
为国捐躯 - 敬礼！

wahlaneh...
will there be a state funeral in his honour?

 

[red amoeba]

condolences...really heart breaking to see a young man die like that.

imagine the heart wrench that the parents have to go through.

 

[†††††]

wahlaneh...
will there be a state funeral in his honour?

state funeral?? wait long long, already say its an misadventure

misadventure mean not following order

 

[middaydog]

Parents living in Johor Baru and son serving NS in Singapore? (

old aged home mah!

 

[Char_Azn]

Parents living in Johor Baru and son serving NS in Singapore?



Could have been in ROD mood and a tat too careless. :(

Parents must be PR lah.

I curious about something though. Does anyone who has worked on one of those ships knows how fast those doors close? I always have the impression that those hydraulic doors don't close very fast

 

[wizard]

He die for wat? prepare to tahan bullet for FTs?

 

[wahlaneh]

Parents must be PR lah.

I curious about something though. Does anyone who has worked on one of those ships knows how fast those doors close? I always have the impression that those hydraulic doors don't close very fast

wahlaneh...
could be doors faulty no maintenance done lor.
could also be something cock-up with the hydraulic system that couldnt stop the doors from slamming shut.

 

[mako65]

Must be a haunted ship...Rip to the deceased!

 

[wahlaneh]

wahlaneh...
imagine our mrt train doors also like that how?

 

[Char_Azn]

He die for wat? prepare to tahan bullet for FTs?

I think he himself is FT

 

[Zombie]

The coroner accepted police investigation findings that Lance Cpl Mar could have accidentally hit the lever which opens and shuts the heavy hydraulic door.
The Republic of Singapore Navy has since installed a CCTV camera at each of the two hydraulic doors on board all landing ship tanks (LSTs).
These cameras will monitor 'personnel movements on board the LST', said Defence Ministry spokesman Desmond Tan yesterday. In another measure introduced since the accident, a buzzer will go off in the engine room if any of the doors is left open.
Also, servicemen now carry out maintenance checks in pairs, and have to carry walkie-talkies and inform their superiors before and after passing through the hydraulic doors, added Colonel Tan.

Install CCTV, buzzer when door is left open, work in pairs, walkie-talkies to tell superiors that they are passing through the doors????

Why can't they just make it simple.. like a simple housing for the door levers so that nobody can accidentally hit any lever and closes the door?

 

[Papsmearer]

Parents must be PR lah.

I curious about something though. Does anyone who has worked on one of those ships knows how fast those doors close? I always have the impression that those hydraulic doors don't close very fast

It depends, on most non military ships, the fastest the doors close is 20 sec., and the longest is 40 sec. That's plenty of time for someone to walk thru. The coroner's report is missing many things. hamid the mat failed to mention that the hydraulic doors can be operated remotely from the bridge too. Its possible that the bridge for some reason chose to close the hydraulic doors, LCPl Mar did not want to use another route, and tried to beat the doors that might have been halfway closing, he might have tripped, and hence did not make it thru the door. The fact that his colleague tried to move the door open with the control lever to free him, and failed to do so, indicates some kind of mechanical failure, I don't know why hamid the mat says there is no mechanical failure. In these cases, the coroner will always find in favour of the SAF, so they do not have to pay compensation to the victim's family or face a lawsuit. If the bridge activated the door, than they are negligent too. In any case, hamid the mat has toed the company line and made sure his bosses do not look bad and lose money. Blame it on the FT from malaysia doing NS.

 

[Papsmearer]

Install CCTV, buzzer when door is left open, work in pairs, walkie-talkies to tell superiors that they are passing through the doors????

Why can't they just make it simple.. like a simple housing for the door levers so that nobody can accidentally hit any lever and closes the door?

Its because the doors can be opened and closed from the bridge. that is why the need for the CCTV, walkie talkie, and buzzer to make sure the bridge can see and hear if there is people there before closing the doors. The fact they are doing this now indicates to me the bridge probably closed the door remotely on this poor guy, something hamid the Mat did not mention in his retarded coroner's report.