Singapore – All schools have suspended outdoor activities involving heights after an ACSI boy dies. The 15-year-old Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student fell from a height at Safra Yishun.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced all schools have suspended outdoor activities involving heights after the ACSI boy died at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) on Thursday morning (Feb 4).
The ACSI boy died after he lost his footing during a high-element activity on Wednesday (Feb 3) and was “suspended by the safety harness” in mid-air for some time, reported straiststimes.com quoting a police spokesman.
As the student was being lowered to the ground, he lost consciousness and was unresponsive when the police arrived on the scene. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics tried to resuscitate the boy on-site. They applied an automated external defibrillator (AED) before taking him to the hospital.
School camps occasionally use high-element activities to boost student confidence. Activities include clearing obstacles at a height while wearing safety equipment such as harnesses, ropes and helmets.
The school activity in this instance was organised by Camelot, an outdoor adventure learning activity.
Investigations underway after ACSI boy dies
The MOE said that all outdoor activities involving heights will be suspended till investigations are completed into how the ACSI boy died.
The instructors involved were questioned by the police. A Camelot spokesman said they would fully cooperate with the authorities.
According to preliminary investigations, there was no foul play involved.
“Together, we are working closely to give our fullest support to the family as well as the student’s classmates and teachers during this trying time,” said the MOE and ACS(I) in a joint statement.
“The safety of our students has always been a priority for us, and we are working with the police and relevant parties to investigate the incident.”
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the Outdoor Learning and Adventure Education Association honorary secretary Delane Lim said that the incident would “certainly impact our outdoor community significantly”.
However, “it also serves as a strong reminder for many of us in this industry to ensure professionalism, competency and skills recency among our instructors, whether full time or freelancers,” he added.
“It is time to take stock, review and revisit the processes in the various campsites and how to recruit, select and train our manpower.”/TISG
Read related: Student by day, escort by night; Author Gerrie Lim reveals what some students are doing to make ends meet
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