Security Guard Who Died in 1-Altitude Had a FT Job & 2 PT Jobs While Studying for a PT Diploma

It was reported just on Monday that a security guard had died in an accident at 1-Altitude, a bar on the rooftop of One Raffles Place after he had fallen into a four-metre deep hole that was there for construction purposes.

Shawn Tung, a 26-year-old Singaporean, was working at the bar as a part-time security guard and was on a night shift on 9 June, Sunday, when he accidentally fell into the hole and met his demise in what the police classified as an unnatural death.

The police were informed at around 1:26 am and he was pronounced dead on the scene when they found him, and 1-Altitude has since closed their rooftop bar temporarily for safety and investigation purposes.

The hole was found to be a construction manhole in an area cordoned off for the building’s exterior cleaning works, and all works have since stopped as well following the incident.

What Had Happened?

After investigations done by the police and the Ministry of Manpower, it was revealed by Mr Tung’s colleagues who had witnessed the incident that he was only trying to prevent two customers from entering the cordoned off area.

He had spotted the two customers entering the barricaded area shortly after midnight on that same Sunday, and ran forward in an attempt to stop them from doing so. It was assumed that he most likely wasn’t aware of the huge hole in the ground, said Mr Tung’s family.

Until now, it can’t be said if the hole was left uncovered or not. The two customers also remain unknown.

He Was A Hardworking Man

Mr Tung’s part-time stint at 1-Altitude had just been one of his three jobs, it was revealed. He’d worked for the bar for less than a year and had one or two night shifts a month.

He had another part-time job besides this while working full-time as a gym trainer, all while juggling between a part-time diploma in sports coaching, which he was taking night classes for in the last two years.

His sister, 30-year-old Rebecca Tung, said that her brother was very hardworking.

It was also shared that he had a two-year-old son. Perhaps that was one of the reasons behind all his hard work in trying to make ends meet while pursuing his studies at the same time, a truly admirable feat.

Family Seeking Answers

The Tung family, including Mr Tung’s parents and his older sister, said that they are seeking answers about the circumstances of his death in an interview.

Mr Tung’s father, a 64-year-old surveyor Tung Kim Swee, visited the scene of the accident on Sunday itself and analysed the area. He estimated that the hole in question was about 1.3m wide and 1.6m long.

The hole was not covered when he saw it, yet he was unaware it was there until someone pointed it out to him for the area was unlit.

“Nobody could explain to us why the hole was there. They just said it was for upgrading works,” he added.

Ms Rebecca Tung also guessed that her brother probably wasn’t warned about the hole before starting his shift.

“We really don’t know anything, and no amount of ‘sorrys’ is enough. All we ask for is justice,” she claimed, stating that the family is at a loss of who to blame.

“My heart is very bitter, I don’t know how I will move on. He told me he would take care of me and my husband in our old age. But… he has already left us,” said his 59-year-old mother Chan Lian Poh while in tears.

Let’s work towards ensuring safety in our workplaces at all times.