Singapore - An Air Force cadet collapsed and died after undergoing jungle orientation training in Brunei, the third Singapore serviceman to die in a month, the defence ministry said on Thursday. Officer Cadet Lam Jia Hao Clifton, a 20-year-old pilot trainee, "was given immediate first aid treatment and was attended to by a doctor and a senior medic" on Wednesday, the ministry's statement said.
He was evacuated by helicopter to Ripas Hospital and subsequently pronounced dead.
The previous day serviceman Andrew Cheah Wei Siong, 20, fainted during a 4.2-kilometre training walk in Singapore. He too was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A third serviceman, Soslam Saharo, went into a coma after he collapsed during a 2.4-kilometre walk on May 13. The 18 year old went into a coma and died when his family decided to remove him from life support.
Saddened by the loss of "young and precious sons of Singapore," Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean said the armed forces is taking a time-out on physical and endurance training for three days.
The period will provide for a "review and refocus on such activities to ensure that proper procedures are in place and being followed, before such training resumes," Teo said in a statement.
"While the Singapore Armed Forces needs to carry out realistic training, this will be done without compromise to safety," he said.
