Family seeks answers for death of 19-year-old NSF who suffered heatstroke

The family of a full-time national serviceman (NSF) who died on Monday (April 30), two weeks after getting warded for heatstroke on April 18, are seeking answers for details surrounding the incident.

Private Dave Lee Han Xuan, 19, had just completed an 8km fast march at Bedok Camp when he first displayed signs of heat injury.

He was conveyed to the Changi General Hospital (CGH) almost an hour after first showing signs of distress and placed in the intensive care unit (ICU), reported The Straits Times.

The Guardsman from the 1st Battalion Singapore Guards then fell into a coma and his condition worsened, before he was subsequently pronounced dead at 5.32pm on Monday, just 10 days after this 19th birthday.

He received a posthumous promotion from private to corporal first class.

On Tuesday (May 1), a Facebook user who claimed to be from Pte Lee’s battalion uploaded a post which described what allegedly happened the night before the 8km fast march.

The user also gave details on what apparently happened during and after the exercise, prior to Pte Lee’s collapse. 

A woman identified Pte Lee as her nephew shared the first post, seeking clarity from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

She also uploaded a photo expressing the profound loss felt by the family. 

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An independent committee has been formed to look into the circumstances that led to the death.

In a Facebook post on Thursday (May 3), the Singapore Army said Corporal First Class Lee "impacted lives of soldiers in more than one way".

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