Cable Car Tragedy, Singapore

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An accident on the Singapore Cable Car system occurred at about 6 pm on 29 January 1983, when the derrick of the Eniwetok, a Panamanian-registered oil rig, passed under the cable cars and struck the cable that stretched over the waterway between the Jardine Steps Station and the Sentosa Station. As a result, two cable cars plunged 55 metres into the sea, killing seven people. The oil rig was being towed away from Keppel Wharf when it became entangled in the cable and caused it to snap. It also left 13 people trapped in four other cable cars between Mount Faber and Sentosa. The accident was the first involving death or injury since the cable car system opened in February 1974.

1 Rescue operations
2 Aftermath
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Rescue operations

The Singapore Police Force, the Singapore Fire Service (now Singapore Civil Defence Force) and all three services of the Singapore Armed Forces were involved in the all-night rescue operation. It was headed by Mr Philip Yeo, the then Second Permanent Secretary (Defence). The operation was directed by Colonel (now Prime Minister) Lee Hsien Loong, Chief of Staff (General Staff).

There were fears that the oil rig could drift further and cause more damage. The problem was worsened by a combination of strong currents and the rising tide (high tide was at 11 pm). To prevent the rig from moving, four tugs put lines aboard and worked to and fro in the water to keep the drillship Eniwetok steady in the water.

The Naval Diving Unit of the Navy was assigned to conduct the underwater search for the passengers in the two cable cars which had plunged into the sea. It took the unit three hours before they recovered four bodies from the cable cars.

On land, the Army established an operations HQ and medical facilities at the wharf-side.

In the air, the 120 Squadron of the RSAF were tasked to rescue the people who were still trapped in the four cable cars, as the cars could not be moved along the remaining cables. Though an extremely risky measure, it was considered the fastest and safest way as the cable cars might plunge into the sea at any moment.

Helicopters from the squadron, fitted with floodlights, approached the first stranded cable car. Despite the strong winds and danger, an airman was winched down. He was blown off on the first attempt but on the second attempt, he reached the door of the cable-car, unlocked it and went inside. He came out with the first passenger strapped to his body by a harness. The winch pulled both of them to safety.

The most risky rescues were undertaken by the Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant (now Commodore) Geoff Ledger, who was in Singapore to help train SAF pilots. He piloted his helicopter to allow winchman Lance Corporal Selvanathan to enter two cable cars hanging only by their towline. Lt. Ledger later commented that language difficulties were a complication.^[1] ^[2] The rescue mission took three and a half hours of risky hovering in darkness and high wind conditions.