PUBLISHED ONJuly 03, 2026 2:45 AMBYEsther LamA 70-year-old man died after reportedly falling into the sea while unloading cargo off Pulau Ubin on Wednesday (July 1).
The deceased, identified as Huang Laiming (transliteration), was a boatman and had been transporting construction supplies to Pulau Ubin on behalf of a contractor, according to Chinese publication 8world.
He had reportedly finished unloading the cargo and was standing at the front of a boat when he lost his balance and fell into the sea.
He then struck his head on a rock in the water and later died from his injuries.
In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted at about 2pm to the incident at 91 Loyang Way, which is the address of both the Police Coast Guard's Loyang Base and the Loyang Marine Fire Post.
The deceased was retrieved from the waters and taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he later died, the authorities said.
One of the deceased's younger brothers, Huang, told the Chinese news outlet that he learned of the accident after receiving a call from workers at the scene.
He said his brother had worked as a boatman for over 10 years, ferrying passengers and transporting cargo for a living, and lived with his wife and children.
An island resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told 8world that the deceased and his two brothers used to live on Pulau Ubin and were known as the "Three Musketeers".
They later moved to Singapore but continued to operate boat passenger and cargo services.
The resident added that the deceased was a man of few words and described him as a person who "said less and did more".
The deceased was reportedly standing at the side of the boat and using a pole to adjust its position when the pole broke. Strong winds are believed to have caused him to lose his balance and fall face-first into the sea, where he struck his head on rocks in the shallow water.
Based on preliminary investigations, the police do not suspect foul play and added that investigations are ongoing.
[[nid:738273]]
