Lightning strike kills paddleboarder, seven others hospitalised after Pasir Ris Beach incident

A 24-year-old man died after he was struck by lightning while paddleboarding in waters off Pasir Ris Beach on 5 July 2026, as a group of eight people took part in water sports near Pasir Ris Park.

Police said they were alerted to the incident at about 4.50pm at 131 Pasir Ris Road.

The 24-year-old was taken to hospital unconscious and later died from his injuries.

The remaining seven people, aged between 13 and 54, were conscious when conveyed to hospital.

Group caught in lightning strike

According to Lianhe Zaobao, five men and three women had been kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding offshore near Carpark D at Pasir Ris Park when lightning suddenly struck the water.

The 24-year-old, who was paddleboarding, was directly hit and immediately lost consciousness.

People onshore noticed the emergency and rushed to help, bringing all eight participants safely back to land before calling for an ambulance. Despite immediate attempts to revive the victim, he did not regain consciousness.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force later conveyed all eight people to hospital. Six, including the unconscious man, were taken to Sengkang General Hospital, while two younger casualties were taken to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

Bystanders rushed to rescue

Private-hire driver Muhammad Fairuz, 40, who had been fishing nearby, said five members of the group paddled towards shore after the strike.

"One of them looked panicked and said, 'My brother was struck by lightning, call an ambulance quickly,'" he told Zaobao.

"Three people were still out at sea, so another person and I each took a kayak and paddled out to bring them back to shore."

Fairuz said around five members of the public took turns performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious man before emergency responders arrived.

He also recalled seeing foam coming from the victim's mouth and what appeared to be scorch marks and burnt tears on his clothing caused by the lightning strike.

Another witness, Dolly, 45, who had been having a barbecue nearby, said the victim lay motionless after being brought ashore.

"He was unconscious. His arms and legs had turned purple and looked bruised, while two women believed to be his family members were crying beside him," she said.

Lightning risks in Singapore

According to the Meteorological Service Singapore, the country records an average of 176 lightning days each year. A lightning day is defined as one on which at least one lightning occurrence is detected at the Changi climate station.

The fatality follows another lightning-related death in May, when a worker at a fish farm was killed after being struck by lightning.

In December 2023, three workers were also taken to hospital after lightning struck near their worksite.