Private Foo Wei Rong Joe, a full-time national serviceman, collapsed in Lim Chu Kang Camp at 6.05 am this morning while doing chin-ups.
He was given immediate medical attention and evacuated to Tengah Medical Centre by 6.40am, where the doctors tried to resuscitate him.
Pte Foo was sent to National University Hospital at 7.15 am.
The SAF doctor and medic continued their attempts to resuscitate him en route to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 8.28am.
THE full-time national serviceman had completed six chin-ups on his own. With some help, the 20-year-old tried to pull his chin above the bar for a seventh time.
He did not make it and collapsed.
The chin-ups, as well as some push-ups which he had completed earlier, were part of the unit's daily basic exercise routine.
The former Singapore Polytechnic student was enlisted in July 9, 2008 as PES A - the highest fitness grading.
It's understood he had displayed no signs of difficulty or health problems and there were no strenuous exercises the night before.
Private Foo had not complained of any medical condition prior to the exercise. Investigations are currently underway to find the true cause of the incident.
The Ministry of Defence is investigating the incident and a report is expected in about eight weeks.
NSF death fourth this year
PRIVATE Joe Foo Wei Rong was the fourth soldier to die this year.
In January, an army major, 41, collapsed after completing a 1.2km run.
More recently in June, two young soldiers died within two days of each other. One collapsed while undergoing jungle training in Brunei, while the other fainted during a 2km walk in Pulau Tekong.
The two deaths, coming so close to each other, sparked a nationwide debate on whether more intensive medical screening of pre-enlistees was necessary and the fitness, or lack thereof, among today's enlistees. It was also debated in Parliament in July.
