Philip Chan was a beloved figure among his colleagues at Underwater World Singapore (UWS).
As head diver and senior supervisor of the once-popular oceanarium in Sentosa, Chan was an avid lover of marine animals, attested by his 25-year-long devotion to them since UWS opened in 1991. He frequently entertained the marine park visitors during feeding time, when he donned his scuba gear and dived into the waters to place food in the mouths of stingrays and sharks.
Even after UWS ceased operations in June — following fierce competition by Resorts World Sentosa’s Marine Life Park and scandals involving poor enclosure conditions — Chan stuck with the OG oceanarium. There were still marine creatures to be transferred out of UWS, after all.
Alas, tragedy struck yesterday, The New Paper reported. Chan was stung while working with stingrays, and was promptly conveyed to Singapore General Hospital around 2.20pm. He succumbed to his injures later on.
“A good friend, a great mentor,” wrote Jack Png on Facebook. “Truly and always Mr Philip Chan.”
“He was the pillar who stood strong and tall since day one of laying the aquarium’s foundations, unwavering throughout the quarter century, always patient to guide us all and to steer us clear of unchartered waters,” wrote Renee Li in a moving tribute to her former colleague.
The incident harks back to a highly similar death — Australian wildlife icon Steve Irwin. The TV personality also died in a freak accident in 2006 while he was swimming near a stingray in shallow waters. Irwin had been filming for a documentary when a massive Australian bull ray stabbed Irwin in the heart with its barbed tail.
