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A member of HDB dragon boat team has died after a race at the Singapore Sports Hub\u2019s Water Sports Centre in Kallang on Sunday (Nov 16) morning.<\/p>\n
The 49-year-old was competing in the Singapore Regatta Waterfest as part of a 30-member team of staff from HDB.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Responding to AsiaOne\u2019s queries, HDB said that it is “deeply saddened” by his death.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He had collapsed while resting after the race, the statement said.<\/p>\n
“He was transported to the hospital for medical attention, where he later passed on after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts by the emergency crew,” said HDB.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur thoughts are with his family, friends and our own colleagues who are grieving this sudden loss. We are in close contact with the family and are providing them our fullest support and assistance during this difficult time.”<\/p>\n
An eyewitness, who declined to be named, told AsiaOne that he saw the man lying near the railings outside the toilet in the Water Sports Centre at around 10am.<\/p>\n
“Another passerby immediately called for the medic\u2019s assistance and we helped to carry him onto the stretcher before <\/strong>he was wheeled away,” he said.<\/p>\n Another participant said organisers announced the man\u2019s death at around noon, after which a minute of silence was observed.<\/p>\n Speaking to AsiaOne, the captain of \u201cTeam HDB\u201d said the team was “still a bit shaken” by the death of one of its members.<\/p>\n “We have one more race in the afternoon, and we are going to continue to race for him,” he said in the morning.<\/p>\n The event was later cancelled due to bad weather.<\/p>\n Held from Nov 14 to 16, the annual event saw nearly 4,000 participants in what organisers described as one of the biggest dragon boat races in the country.<\/p>\n Hundreds of competitors, from educational institutions, business organisations and other entities, vied to be the quickest over a 200m distance in the Kallang Basin.<\/p>\n Singapore Regatta Waterfest\u2019s organisers Kallang Alive Sports Management and the Singapore Dragon Boat Association said in a joint statement that the man was given immediate medical assistance and was taken to hospital.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are deeply saddened by the incident, and our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time,\u201d they added.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additional reporting by Dennis Palit.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n