A Singaporean diver died after being struck within the chest by a stingray at a closed underwater attraction within the city-state, aquarium owners said on Wednesday.
Veteran diver Philip Chan, 62, was stung Tuesday at Underwater World Singapore in a “tragic accident” while preparing stingrays for transfer to a different aquarium, Haw Par Corporation, which owns the attraction, said in an announcement. He later died of his injuries in hospital.
Haw Par said it has suspended its animal transfer program while the police investigation continues.
The 25-year-old resort on the resort island of Sentosa closed in June since it couldn’t deal with latest attractions on the identical island, including a bigger aquarium and a water adventure park.
His pink dolphins, sea lions and otters were relocated to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom in Zhuhai, China, one in all the world’s largest marine parks, while other sea creatures continued to hunt latest homes, local media reported. It is unclear which species of stingray struck Chan within the chest.
Rays are common in tropical waters. Their tail spikes are coated with toxic venom, which they use to defend themselves when threatened.
Although these animals’ stings are painful, they rarely attack humans.
