A 47-year Australian woman saved three boys from drowning in the sea at East Coast Park on Monday but expressed sadness that she had been unable to reach a fourth, whose body was found three hours later.
At 12:10pm, housewife Silvia Hajas went to the beach with her husband and eight-year-old daughter, Lianhe Zaobao reported. Shortly after, she spotted several boys crying for help and struggling in the water some 50 meters away from the Bedok Jetty.
Three of the boys swam ashore by themselves. Hajas, a triathlete, dived into the sea and saved three others.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to a report of a missing person at around 12:25pm, The Straits Times reported. Its rescue team found the body of a 12-year-old boy, Muhammad Suhaimi Sabastian, at 3:33pm.
Jurongville Secondary School, where Suhaimi studied, said in a statement that it was deeply saddened by the death of the boy, and offered counseling to students and staff.
Hajas later said in an interview that the sea was very choppy while she was saving the boys, who were in danger of being pulled away from shore by a current.
Many thanks, Silvia Hajas, for saving the kids! May God Bless you for your kindness!
God bless you ,Silvia.
God bless U Silvia.
Codolence to the family of the boy, may he rest in peace.
A silent heroine…AlFatihah to the family of the boy