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Ex-CEO of Deutsche Telekom Asia had heart condition
THE former chief executive officer of Deutsche Telekom Asia was, by all accounts, fit and ready for his first triathlon last August.
 Mr Calvin Lee Wee Sing, 42, a sportsman and swimmer in his teen years, had picked up long-distance running and cycling in adulthood.
His training for last year’s Osim Singapore International Triathlon included doing 30 laps at the Chinese Swimming Club practically every day.
Yet he was felled by a previously undetected heart condition on race day last Aug 2, which caused him to drown in the waters off East Coast Park, where the race was held.
At an inquiry into his death yesterday, State Coroner Victor Yeo noted that the autopsy had revealed that he had small coronary artery disease and that this could have caused an abnormal heartbeat, loss of consciousness
and then the drowning.
Given that he had trained diligently for the race, there was no reasonable explanation for the problems he encountered during the swim, the coroner added.
He also noted that everything possible had been done to save and revive Mr Lee. “There were no inadequacies or lapses in the safety measures deployed for the event. It was a tragic accident.”
A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.
Mr Lee had been on a three-member team for the triathlon. He was to do the 1.5km swim leg, after which a teammate would cycle 40km and another would run 10km.
The court heard that a life marshal on a jet ski saw Mr Lee swimming in circles near the 500m mark of the swim shortly after 1pm. Realising that the swimmer was disoriented, the marshal went to him and brought him
back to shore in seconds.
Paramedics did cardiopulmonary resuscitation to no avail; attempts by a doctor on standby to jump-start Mr Lee’s heart with an automated external defibrillator also failed.
He was rushed to Changi General Hospital where, despite further resuscitation efforts, he died.
His widow Choo Share Lin, 42, asked by Coroner Yeo whether she had any questions for the court, asked investigating officer Mohamad Azalin Rahim whether the safety personnel at the event had been adequately trained. She was told many of them had years of experience in water safety and rescue and there was a pre-race briefing on emergency procedures.
After the verdict, Madam Choo, an air stewardess with Cathay Pacific, told reporters that the inquiry provided some closure for her and that she now wanted to carry on with her life and to take care of their daughter
Chloe, 10. The girl was not in court.
Cardiologist Ching Chi Keong of the National Heart Centre said the heart problem Mr Lee had could have caused his heart to beat so fast as to affect blood flow and then go into arrest. Mr Lee could also have taken water into his lungs, worsening the situation, he added.
This year’s Osim triathlon in April featured a new swim route which extended only 150m from the shore, unlike last year’s 300m. It was a change aimed at enabling quicker response by medical teams in emergencies.
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