Many Singaporeans have been worried about the fate of the parachutist who missed his mark and landed hard on concrete during the National Day Parade on Tuesday. Well, they can finally rest easy. Last night, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told the public that Third Warrant Officer Jeffrey Heng will need more time to recover but that ultimately he will be okay.
Ng said Heng had suffered some injuries and will need to undergo rehabilitation. But other than that, he does not need any surgeries and is expected to make a full recovery.
“[W]e are glad to report that he is stable. Suffered some injuries due to the hard landing, but no surgery required. He will need time and some rehab, but full recovery is expected,” Ng wrote.
During the parade’s yearly segment featuring the Singapore Armed Forces Parachute Team, Heng lost control and landed hard on his bum and legs on the Marina Bay Floating Platform.
The Singapore Army said in a statement posted to social media last night that parachuting onto the floating platform can sometimes be “tricky, with strong crosswinds, gusty currents and disruptive airflow.”
But they said that Heng was able to avoid serious injuries by applying his training and the Parachute Landing Fall technique.
Heng was the last of 10 Red Lions to land after doing formations in the air.
Later that day, Ng put out an update saying that Heng is “currently stable” and is “receiving medical attention.”
NDP host Joakim Gomez also gave a similar update on national television midway through the show.
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