Girl Died Trying To Save Friend In Pool

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Source: The Strait Times
11-5-2007
Singapore





THE adage 'a friend in need is a friend indeed' truly applied to 15-year-old Chan Poh Lian - and she paid for it with her life.

The teenager, who died after trying to rescue her friend from drowning at a swimming pool, was hailed for her courage by the State Coroner at her inquest yesterday.

The schoolgirl nearly drowned in the attempt and slipped into a coma after she was pulled out of the pool. Taken to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), she died of multiple organ failure 13 days later, on Sept 18 last year.

Yesterday, State Coroner Ronald Gwee ruled that her death was the result of an accident.

He was full of praise for what she had done.

He said: 'She had very bravely and selflessly attempted to help her friend who had got into difficulties in the water in the swimming pool.

'In the process, she got into difficulties herself and suffered the near-drowning incident.'

Poh Lian and another girl had gone to their classmate's condominium apartment in River Valley Road on Sept 6 last year.

At about 3 pm, the two visitors decided to swim at the deep end of the condo's pool, which was about 1.8m deep.

The classmate sat by the side of the pool.

The other girl then had cramps in her leg. She flailed her arms and shouted for help.

Poh Lian - who had elementary swimming lessons but had yet to learn to tread water - swam over and tried to help her but soon encountered difficulties.

She slipped under the surface even as her classmate flung a lifebuoy into the pool, which the other girl was able to grab.

Their cries for help drew residents and security officers from the condominium, who then pulled Poh Lian out of the pool.

By then, Poh Lian was already unconscious but still breathing. She was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support. She died 13 days later.

Dr Colleen Kim Thomas, from the SGH, noted in his medical report that Poh Lian's condition 'was not salvageable right from the start'. A lack of oxygen and heart failure before her rescue had led to 'irrecoverable brain failure'.

In recording a verdict of misadventure, the coroner cleared the hospital of any possible blame.

'There is no evidence to suggest that there had been any criminal negligence in the medical care of the deceased between the time of the incident in the pool and her demise,' he said.

Labels: Drown