2010 Penang dragon boat accident


The 2010 Penang dragon boat accident was an incident that occurred on 17 January 2010 in Penang, Malaysia. The incident involved the Chung Ling High School dragon boat team's boat capsizing after colliding with a tugboat amid strong currents. This incident killed 6 people while 12 were injured.

History by timeline

17 January 2010

At 8:00am, the Chung Ling High School dragon boat practice took place in the North Strait, located off the Clan Jetties. 18 paddlers took part in this activity. Safety measures were not taken, examples included only 2 out of the 18 paddlers wearing safety jackets, which were compulsory. At 9:00am, the dragon boat capsized after colliding with a tugboat amid strong currents. 12 paddlers were rescued or swam to safety. At 10:00am a rescue team comprising policemen, firemen, marine law enforcement bureau and civil defence officers arrived at the accident area. Two bodies were retrieved, Chin Aik Siang, a teacher, and Jason Ch'Ng, a student.

18 January 2010

The last 4 missing bodies were recovered, Brendon Yeoh, Goh Yi Zhang, Wang Yong Xiang and Cheah Zi Jun, all students, were found in the sea at 12:10pm. In memory of the deceased, the flag of Chung Ling High School was flown at half mast and a memorial ceremony was held. The school Board of Governors, Parent-Teacher Association and Alumni Association donated RM10,000 to the families of accident victims. An additional RM2000 was donated to the injured paddlers.