Singapore drone pilot joins Nepal emergency rescue

He said her strength in managing family matters and guiding their children allowed him to focus on his duties abroad.

“I didn’t want her to worry while I was in Nepal, and she also didn’t want me to be burdened with thinking about the situation at home.”

“She always reminded me not to think too much, while I constantly reassured her that I was safe. Whenever we got the chance, we would video call each other to check on things and make sure we were doing well,” he said.

Asked how he felt about leaving his son, who was sitting for his exams, he said: “Of course I was worried. With my wife’s guidance, things are going well.

“He is also working hard to be able to join the course he is interested in, so he is studying very hard to get through the exams.”

Contingent applauded at welcome-home reception

The contingent’s efforts and sacrifices were recognised at an event at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir on Sept 26, which was attended by Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong.

He commended the officers for their operational excellence, professionalism and courtesy shown throughout the mission.

Tong also paid tribute to their families who were a source of encouragement throughout the mission.

Tong said: “To all our 35 deployed officers, you’ve really represented Singapore with tremendous distinction.

“You left home on short notice and worked tirelessly in very unfamiliar and very challenging conditions, but carried out your duties with professionalism, with resilience and with compassion.”

Contingent commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (AC) Patrick Tan, said the team faced a challenging operational environment, along with physical and emotional stress while carrying out disaster relief duties.

He said the contingent’s strength came from officers across different agencies combining their expertise.

“Although we are a small country and team, our strength is multiplied when our capabilities are combined.

“By bringing together expertise from various agencies, we can gain access to where it is needed and channel assistance more effectively,” he said.

Identifying victims among decomposing human bodies

Apart from UAV training, another key part of the mission involved disaster victim identification (DVI), including post-mortem examinations, fingerprinting and record comparison efforts to assist in the victim identification process.

DVI officer and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Corelle Tan Pei Shan said the scale of the disaster demanded intense focus, especially when dealing with decomposing bodies.

“When we arrived, about a week had passed since the disaster occurred. So, many of the bodies and human remains had already undergone further decomposition because some were in water and mud,” she said.

According to ASP Tan, working in such conditions also required emotional resilience.

HTX fingerprint expert Yong Heng Wei faced the challenge of comparing fingerprints obtained from victims with existing records, particularly when the condition of the body affected print quality.

“It’s quite challenging because not all bodies have a set of fingerprints that can be used due to damage caused by the disaster.

“For some bodies, only a few fingers were still in a suitable condition to obtain fingerprints, making the comparison process more difficult,” he said.

Meanwhile, HSA forensic pathologist Dr Benjamin Kuek said seeing photos of missing people on hospital walls underscored the human impact of the team’s work.

“Seeing pictures of missing people plastered on hospital walls reminded me that the work we do means a lot to someone and to the family who is searching for answers,” he said.

“It’s not just routine work or gathering scientific evidence. Ultimately, we’re trying to help families get some certainty and closure.”

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