SINGAPORE, May 14 — A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) full-time national serviceman has died after he was found unconscious at the bottom of a fire station’s pump well, with preliminary investigations pointing to prohibited activities taking place.

Two regular servicemen have been arrested following the incident, while a Board of Inquiry (BOI) will be convened to look into the matter.

According to a SCDF news release today, Corporal Kok Yuen Chin had been celebrating his impending end of full-time national service with his squad mates the night before.

One of the celebratory activities involved him getting into the pump well at Tuas View Fire Station.

The pump well is a reservoir of water used by fire station personnel for training and for testing the pumps of fire engines.

He did not resurface, and when a few other SCDF personnel tried to look for him, they could not find him.

“Corporal Kok was eventually pulled out from the well after the water had been drained,” the SCDF said.

Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation was immediately administered by a paramedic, followed by the use of an automated external defibrillator. He was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Police are conducting investigations, on what had happened, including how he fell into the pump well, and whether any person(s) are criminally responsible, said the SCDF.

The full details of the BOI will be made public in due course, it added.

Today, the SCDF said that based on preliminary investigations, “it appears that the mishap arose as a result of activities which SCDF has prohibited”.

While it did not go into detail about what these prohibited activities were, it noted: “Severe punishments and deterrent action have been meted out in the past to personnel who engaged in unauthorised activities.”

This is not the first time SCDF personnel have come under the spotlight.

In 2015, the SCDF said it was investigating two viral videos that showed its personnel trashing a dorm, swearing and smoking.

In 2016, a 21-year-old full-time SCDF national serviceman was found dead at a training institute at Jalan Bahar. Edwin Ong Koon Chwee, 21, had enlisted in the SCDF three days before, and had posted on social media about his “slight depression”.

Corporal Kok’s death also comes barely a month after the death of another NSF. Late last month, Private Dave Han Xuan Lee, a Guardsman, died after being warded in hospital.

Private Lee was found with signs of heat injury after an 8km fast march at Bedok Camp at about 8.35am on April 18. He was taken to Changi General Hospital and warded in the intensive care unit but his condition did not improve. He died at about 5.30pm on April 30.

Today, the SCDF said it will “continually educate our personnel, including during their foundation courses, briefings at recruit and specialist levels, as well as at periodic intervals, to make clear to our officers the risks of such activities and that they are prohibited”.

The SCDF said it has a whistle-blowing programme in place to help identify irresponsible behaviour.

“SCDF will be conducting briefings in all its fire stations and bases, and check again whether there were any such activities in the recent past,” it added.

In an earlier version of the story, we reported that the SCDF will convene a Committee of Inquiry to look into the death of Corporal Kok. The SCDF has subsequently clarified that a Board of Inquiry will be convened instead. — AFP