SINGAPORE: At least three outdoor sports operators are reviewing their safety procedures after a man was killed by lightning while paddleboarding last Sunday (Jul 5), even though existing protocols already require activities to stop at the first sign of dangerous weather.

Operators told CNA that while Category 1 lightning warnings are clear "no-go" signals, instructors also rely heavily on what they see and hear on the ground, since conditions at sea can shift faster than official alerts.

Fish On, which rents kayaks and runs guided kayak tours, said it is in talks with another kayak fishing operator on how to improve its protocols. 

Founder Mohammad Nordin said the company relies on both the National Environment Agency's (NEA) lightning alerts and its own observations to gauge how close lightning is.

"Once we see the flash of lightning, we start counting to see when the thunder reaches us, and that's how we know how far it is," he said.

"Ideally, when lightning is 6km away, we need to start heading to the nearest shelter. If it's 3km away, we should be close to a shelter and if it's 1km, we should all be under the shelter. But in reality, at 6km, the lightning is usually quite faint, so we might not see it."

On-site lightning warning systems, which use both lights and sirens to alert people at sea, may also be less effective for those farther offshore, he said.

"We can hear the alarm if we're nearby but if we're more than 300m from shore, you can't really hear it. Even though they have lights, you can't see them from the sea because there are so many trees blocking it." 

Mr Nordin plans routes that let participants reach shelter within 30 minutes if weather deteriorates, and issues every customer a walkie-talkie to stay in contact while on the water.

Sunday’s incident appears to be a one-off situation, he said. "In my many years of kayak fishing, I have never come across this, so it was really a surprise.

“I don’t know if there’s much we can improve on but I want to talk to other operators to see if there’s anything we can do,” he said.

Mr Mikhail Benyamin, a freelance sea sports instructor who worked with Outdoor Adventures, died in the lightning strike off Pasir Ris Beach last Sunday. He had borrowed ...