43-year-old man and his family went to Lazarus Island to play, but he disappeared while swimming, and the search is still in progress. The accident happened at about 1 pm on March 27 in the waters off Lazarus Island. Missing is 43-year-old Kurnia Hardiman Bin Surmadi who works as a cleaner.

Kurnia’s stepdaughter Yana (28 years old, a housewife) told Zaobao that her father, family and other relatives visited Lazarus Island on March 26 for two days and one night, and planned go home on Sunday afternoon.

She said she received a sudden call from her mother on Sunday afternoon, saying her father had disappeared while swimming. “My father said in the morning that everyone would go to the beach to play before leaving, and when he got to the beach, he would go into the sea for a swim.”

Yana said that when the others got tired of playing, they went ashore first, leaving only the father swimming. About 12 o’clock in the afternoon, the mother suddenly discovered that the father had disappeared.

“My father was only wearing a pair of dark blue trousers before he disappeared. After the mother and his party went home yesterday, they went back to Lazarus Island today to continue their search. The water there is very deep, and we are all worried. We hope to find our father as soon as possible.”

Wade Pearce (34), founder of the online platform Singapore Marine Guide, in speaking to Zaobao said that he saw vessels from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) in the waters off Lazarus Island yesterday afternoon.

He said, “This sea area is more dangerous for swimming, and the public should be more careful before going to sea.”

When asked, the SCDF confirmed that it received a report of someone missing at 1:25 pm on Sunday, and sent two civil defense boats to the scene of the incident. When questioned, the police confirmed that they had been notified of a suspected drowning in the waters off Lazarus Island. A 43-year-old man is missing and the search is still ongoing.

According to earlier reports, a similar accident occurred in the waters between Kusu Island and Lazarus Island on February 12 this year. Two men had an accident when they went to the waters near Kusu Island. A 28-year-old man drowned in a coma and was sent to the hospital, while the other 24-year-old man was missing.