Outdoor activities facilitator, 22, charged with causing ACS(I) student’s death during rope course at Safra Yishun

SINGAPORE — A 22-year-old man was charged on Thursday (Sept 15) with causing the death of a 15-year-old student at an adventure sports centre in Safra Yishun clubhouse last year.

Muhammad Nurul Hakim Mohamed Din was working as a dispatcher for the Canopy Sky Walk rope course when the incident happened on Feb 3 last year, court documents stated.

Hakim faces a single charge of causing Jethro Puah Xin Yang’s death through a rash act not amounting to culpable homicide.

Jethro was studying at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) or ACS(I) at the time. He was taking part in a school camp programme, run by outdoor adventure learning company Camelot, at Safra Yishun at the time.

Court documents showed that before Hakim dispatched Jethro onto a rope course, he allegedly failed to ensure that both of the leg straps of the safety harness that Jethro was wearing were properly buckled and adjusted.

Jethro was then suspended in the loose harness after falling off the rope course, and his leg straps became completely unbuckled.

The Secondary 4 student died from “multi-organ failure following compression of (the) neck and traumatic asphyxia”.

Paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force responded to a call at about 1.50pm that day, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation and using an automated external defibrillator on him.

He was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in Yishun where he died the next morning.

Following Jethro’s death, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the immediate suspension of outdoor activities involving high elements for all schools, pending the completion of the investigations.

High-element activities involving students clearing an obstacle course at a height are commonly organised as a form of outdoor education to instil confidence, ruggedness and teamwork.

On Thursday, Hakim was offered bail of S$10,000. He will return to court on Oct 13.

If convicted of causing death by a rash act, he could be jailed for up to five years or fined, or punished with both.

Jethro's parents told reporters at his wake that their only child was a loving son, an exemplary student and caring friend.

He was a class chairperson and among the top in his class academically, even without tuition and pressure from his parents, they added.

In a statement following Thursday's court hearing, Mr Delane Lim, the honourary secretary of the Outdoor Learning and Adventure Education Association, said that the community is deeply affected by the incident.

He added that since early this year, the association has been working closely with the Ministry of Education, Outward Bound Singapore and the outdoor education community to review and strengthen safety practices.

They will also be collectively developing national outdoor adventure education (OAE) standards, Mr Lim said.

"We continue to engage our sector and remind our OAE community of operators and practitioners, of the need to exercise vigilance and to ensure that the well-being and safety of our participants continue to be of paramount importance and priority," he added.