British schoolgirl, 15, killed by boat propeller while snorkelling on Maldives school trip
21 December 2024, 15:12
A British girl has been killed by a boat propeller while on a school trip in the Maldives.
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15-year-old Jenna Can died in the horrendous snorkelling accident while working with the British registered charity, the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), in its research expedition.
The British-Singaporean dual national Jenna studied at St Joseph's International Institution.
On November 8, she was allegedly beckoned into the water, but just a few minutes later was "sucked under" when the engine turned on.
Her parents say that over a month after the tragedy took place, they are "still waiting for answers".
Alan Chan and Jennifer Liauw say they were unable to contact their precious daughter during the trip because of a policy of removing phones during the expedition.
A report by the Maldives police service, seen by The Times, confirmed that: "On 8th November 2024, during [an] excursion while snorkelling between Lux Maldives Resort and Dhidoo, an incident occurred and Miss Jenna [Chan] was struck by the boat’s propellers."
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Maldivian officials was unable to offer the family a post-mortem examination of the body.
The family state they have not been shown any witness statements from teachers and students who were with the 15-year-old at the time of her death.
They think there was "no real investigation" into the accident, adding that there was a "chain of errors" throughout the excursion.
Jenna's 17-year-old sister Alice has now set up a GoFundMe to raise awareness of the teenager's accident and assist with legal fees, as the family continue to search for answers.
The caption for the fundraiser reads: "My sister, 15 year old British-Singaporean Jenna Chan, was killed in a propeller accident during a school trip in the Maldives.
"There has been silence from the Maldivian government and all news about her has ceased.
"The circumstances leading to her sudden death and negligence of the company is truly shocking to our family and her teenage friends, who witnessed her death.
"Please help support us during this tough time for our family and loved ones, and spread the word about her case."
"All donations will go towards our fight for Jenna and protection of all future children and tourists, by providing our Maldivian lawyers with the legal fees and financial support to take more cases just like this one."
So far, £4,600 of its £10,000 has been raised.
Jenna was laid to rest on November 15 in Singapore.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are supporting the family of a British national who died in the Maldives and are in contact with the local authorities."
