If your kayak overturns, get your head above water and let your life jacket support you. Signal your guide or paddling group. If you cannot get back to safety, someone is missing or a paddler is struggling to stay afloat, call for rescue promptly. Give the launch point, nearby landmarks and the number of people in the water. MPA canoeing and kayaking safety guidelines SCDF guidance on water rescue
For a person in danger in the water, call 995. At sea, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore also lists 24-hour maritime distress contacts, including VHF Channel 16 and telephone +65 6226 5539. Use the appropriate channel available to you and follow the responder’s directions. SCDF guidance on water rescue MPA maritime search and rescue contacts
- Keep your airway clear and use your life jacket for flotation.
- Signal nearby paddlers or the guide, and call for rescue if anyone is in danger.
- Report the launch point, last known position and number of people in the water.
On this page
- What to do in the water
- What rescuers need to know
- Prepare before you launch
- Frequently asked questions
What to do in the water
Take a moment to get your breathing under control if you can. Call or signal to your group. If you are on a supervised trip, follow the guide’s recovery directions. If you cannot get back aboard safely, concentrate on staying afloat and making contact with help. MPA canoeing and kayaking safety guidelines RNLI guidance on calling for help at sea
Check where the other paddlers are without taking unnecessary risks. If someone is separated from the group, note where they were last seen and which direction they appeared to be drifting. Pass that information to the guide or dispatcher. SCDF guidance on water rescue
What rescuers need to know
Tell the dispatcher whether you are on a reservoir or at sea. Give the nearest named shore or launch point, the direction from it and your GPS position if you already have it. Say how many paddlers are in the water, whether everyone has flotation and whether anyone is missing or injured. Keep the phone available for further instructions. SCDF guidance on water rescue MPA maritime search and rescue contacts
If you are watching from shore
Call 995 if someone is in danger, and point out the last known position to trained responders. Throw flotation if it is safe and within reach. Stay on shore unless trained for water rescue. SCDF guidance on water rescue
Prepare before you launch
MPA advises wearing a proper life jacket throughout the activity and paddling in a group, preferably under club or school supervision. Ask the operator how they handle a capsize, where the nearest safe landing points are and who to contact if you lose sight of the group. MPA canoeing and kayaking safety guidelines
Keep a means of calling for help accessible and protected from water. A phone left behind on shore or packed away where you cannot reach it will be difficult to use after an overturn. On trips where phone signal may be unreliable, follow the operator’s communications plan. RNLI guidance on calling for help at sea
Frequently asked questions
What if I do not know my coordinates?
Give the launch site, nearest landmark, direction from shore and any boat or kayak colours you know. Keep updating the dispatcher if you drift. SCDF guidance on water rescue MPA maritime search and rescue contacts
Should I wait for a missing paddler to turn up?
Alert the guide and call for rescue promptly if they may be in danger. Give the last confirmed location and time. SCDF guidance on water rescue MPA maritime search and rescue contacts
Sources
- SCDF guidance on water rescue
- MPA canoeing and kayaking safety guidelines
- MPA maritime search and rescue contacts
- RNLI guidance on calling for help at sea