The Dragon Boat Tragedy

I extend my deepest condolences to the families and friends of the students and teacher killed in the dragon boat tragedy in Penang.

I remembered back in 2007 while I was in Singapore, there was a similar tragedy that happened to the Singaporean Dragon Boat Team competing in Cambodia. Again, five young rowers were killed in that incident. However, following that incident, there was a Safety Inquiry Panel to look into the incident by the Singaporean authority.

Perhaps these two incidents will provide us many valuable lessons about safety in water sports. Such lessons are much more important for schools and youth organisations like the Boys' Brigade which occasionally conducts water sports activity. My greatest worry is that unnecessary hinderance and bureaucratic measures will be taken to stop our young people to participate in these events. Instead, I hope that those who conducts these activities will keep ourselves abreast with the latest safety measures and hold firm to the principle that do not compromise safety.

In both occasions, it has been reported that the rowers were not wearing life jacket. Apparently, it's quite usual for dragon boat rowers not to wear them as life jacket is bulky and obstructing. I guess, safety should not be substituted for any other consideration, when it comes to safety in an open sea. Another student in the Penang incident, who missed that morning's tragedy, is also said not to know how to swim. I wonder, how many of those on the boat did not know how to swim and actually wore the life jacket? There should be no compromise in this respect and no exception.

According to the Singaporean Safety Inquiry Panel following the incident with the Singaporean team, there has been a lack of safety measures in terms of drills for contingencies. In other words, people who participate in water sports such as dragon boat, are not expose to safety measures such as capsize drill. I recalled, this has been the most important part in the course I took about canoeing. We were taught how to capsize and react accordingly in such circumstances. Perhaps such stimulation exercise should also be extended to dragon boat and other water sports.

I guess, by not compromising the safety and providing preventive "education", could be the step forward for schools and youth organisations in dealing with the future extra-curricular activities, especially in water sports. I sincerely hope that this tragedy will not turn into a political issue, as politicians seem to be coming forward to comment and "show" their concern, or rather as an excuse to add more bureaucratic and hindrance measures to discourage the participation of our young people in such healthy activities, but rather, served as a precious lesson for all by reminding ourselves about the importance of safety and preventive education.