Death of S'pore teen, 17, from basketball frame that fell on him ruled a misadventure

A coroner has determined the death of 17-year-old Mohd Ridwan, who died in 2021 after a basketball hoop structure collapsed on him, to be a misadventure. The incident occurred on July 26, 2021, during a game at Block 18 Bedok South Road. During an attempted dunk, the unstable structure fell on the teen, causing fatal head injuries.

Despite 10 minutes of resuscitation attempts, he could not be saved. The coroner found that inconsistent welding at the weakest point of the pole, where the upper and lower poles were welded together, likely caused the collapse. This conclusion was reached after reviewing the manufacturer's schematics, which revealed that the poles may have been damaged and repaired by welding.

The basketball court had been renovated recently, and the project manager for the renovation was unaware of the requirement for a professional engineer's endorsement. Consequently, no professional engineer was involved in the installation or subsequent checks, leading to the unsafe structure. In response to the ruling, East Coast Town Council closed all basketball courts in the estate and appointed independent engineers to inspect all sports structures.

Those that needed replacement were reopened only after being endorsed as safe by a professional engineer. The town council expressed regret over the incident, acknowledged the findings, and assured that they would continue to work closely with their managing agent to enhance internal oversight and compliance with safety standards.

They extended their deepest sympathies to the victim's family and pledged to remain in close contact with them.