SINGAPORE – The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has called off the underwater search for the missing boatman who jumped off his river taxi when it caught fire on Tuesday evening (July 12).
Local media reported a SCDF spokesman saying that the underwater search was called off at midnight but a surface search resumed on Wednesday morning (July 13).
The search for the missing boatman, who was said to be in his 30s and was the only person on board at the time of the fire, commenced after the fire was put out.
In a post on Facebook at about 10pm on July 12, SCDF said it deployed DART rescuers, who faced the challenge of poor visibility at night and having to submerge and search through the deep silt of the river bed.
Search methods at the time included point diving at the depth of about 4 metres, employing a circular search pattern from the point where the man was last seen, with the search team moving in a grid formation.
It is unclear what happened but according to one Stomp contributor, Jeffrey, he heard a loud bang before he saw the flames.
He said: “The boat was a passenger boat, the kind that tourists take to go down the Singapore River.
“I think the fire was caused by the the boat hitting a wall”, he added.
Stomp, SCDF Facebook
Photos sent by readers to Stomp show thick black smoke billowing from the burning boat. The smoke was also reportedly visible from Clarke Quay.
No other missing people or injuries have been reported from this incident, according to SCDF.
maryanns@sph.com.sg
