NSman, 25, dies after collapsing during NS FIT exercise session

An operationally ready national serviceman (NSman) died on Wednesday (March 2) evening after participating in Health Promotion Board's (HPB) quick high intensity interval training (HIIT) session at West Coast Park.

In a joint news release on Thursday, HPB and the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said that the 25-year-old NSman collapsed at the start of the main exercise after completing the warm up.

On-site trainers from HPB's external vendor immediately attended to him with cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to the incident at 7.41pm and "continued resuscitation efforts on the man at the scene as well as en route to to National University Hospital". He was pronounced dead at 9.21pm.

All HPB Quick HIIT sessions are suspended until March 6 as investigations are on-going and safety practices are being reviewed, said HPB and Mindef.

"HPB, Mindef and the SAF extend their deepest condolences to the family and are assisting the family in their time of grief".

Quick HIIT is a part of the NS FIT programme introduced last year in collaboration with HPB and Sport Singapore. The programme is "designed to encourage NSmen to adopt active and healthy lifestyles".

chingshijie@asiaone.com