The senior supervisor at Underwater World Singapore in Sentosa died on Tuesday after being stung in the chest by a sting ray while he was diving in the aquarium.
Philip Chan, 62, was preparing rays for transfer to another facility when the incident occurred, and died in hospital later that day.
UWS had closed in June, and Chan was one of 10 staff kept on to arrange for the aquarium’s 2500 occupants to be moved to new homes.
“He was a veteran diver, aquarist and animal care-giver who had been caring for the marine life at UWS since its opening in 1991,” said the aquarium’s owner Haw Par Corporation.
When closure of the facility, known for its 83m viewing tunnel, was announced in the face of new competition, Chan had told the Straits Times: “After caring for the animals for 25 years, I feel sad that Underwater World Singapore is closing. We’ll all miss the fishes.”
Haw Par Corporation suspended transfer operations while the incident was being investigated by Singapore’s Safety & Health Inspectorate.
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