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LINC Participant Saddled with Debts After Fall in Langkawi
A 29 year old adventure-seeker fractured his jaw and punctured his lung after falling from a cliff in Langkawi, Malaysia, on a recent five-day adventure challenge.
Mr Lew Seng Leong, a Malaysian civil engineer who is a Singapore permanent resident, fell to the beach while trying to abseil from a 60m cliff on Pulau Tuba. The impact cracked his helmet, and the bleeding man was rushed to Alor Star General Hospital in Kedah, and flown back to Singapore on an International SOS chartered plane the following day.
Mr Lew spent four days in Singapore General Hospital's intensive care unit, went through 10 hours of surgery to fix his jaw last Thursday, and is still in hospital.
It happened on Aug 21, the first day of the Langkawi International Nature Challenge, whose 400km course covers 14 islands. One of his team members, navy officer Esther Tan, 28, said that the metal ring or carabiner, that holds the abseil rope onto the support harness at the waist, was not locked on properly in Mr Lew's case.
The team captain, Mr Adrian Mok, 34, said there was no safety rope for abseilers to hang on to in case the abseil rope snapped.
The organisers are a group of local Malaysian adventurers with at least 10 years' experience, said Mr Rosman Karim, from the secretariat of the Langkawi International Nature Challenge.
He told The Sunday Times yesterday: It was our first time organising such a race, and we had put all the safety measures in place. It's unfortunate that this had to happen. We're still investigating the case.
Mr Rosman said that some officials will be visiting Mr Lew this week but declined to comment on compensation or insurance claims. Mr Lew's team withdrew from the competition after his fall. Three of the remaining eight teams also pulled out on the first day, citing safety reasons.
One of those which pulled out was a Malaysian team, Wilderness International. Mr David Ogden, 54, one of its members, said they saw no rescue boats when they kayaked in the open sea. 'We were also attacked by hornets, and there was no medical attention. Shouldn't there be a first-aid post at every station.
Mr Rosman said 95 technical and rescue staff members had been hired and his team spent a year planning the event.
Mr Lew, who has taken part in two similar multi-day races, said he won't race any more. When I saw my parents and wife by the hospital bed, I felt that risking my life wasn't worth it.' Now, he is saddled with debts. His parents paid for his $30,000 flight and evacuation fees. He also has a $3,000 hospital bill and $4,000 in plastic surgery fees to pay.
Teammates and friends contributed about $5,000. Said his wife, Ms Eileen Lim, 26, an administrative officer: 'We'll definitely pay them back. But it's going to be tough for us to raise the amount.'
With Singapore trying to attract extreme sports events, what are organisers doing about safety. Mr Michael Maddess, race director of Action Asia Events, which is organising the Action Asia Challenge here next month, said safety is his No. 1 concern. His rigging staff have five to 15 years of experience, he added. 'We test every participant on their rope skills the day before the race. If they fail, then there'll be no race and no refund. We're strict about this.'
Langkawi 5/9/2004
