'Unknown good Samaritan' revealed too late: SCDF officer dies in accident months after saving cyclist's life

In a cruel twist of fate, an 'unknown good Samaritan' praised for saving a cyclist suffering from cardiac arrest, was later revealed to be a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer who died in a traffic accident on Sept 14. 

According to SCDF's Facebook post on Sept 18, two on-duty lifeguards at Jurong Lake Gardens Swimming Complex were alerted to the emergency at Jurong Lake Gardens on May 29 by a passer-by. 

"Together with an unknown Good Samaritan, they performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the victim,” SCDF said. 

With the help of an automated external defibrillator, the three men continued to conduct CPR on the cyclist until an ambulance arrived. The victim was successfully revived at the scene, SCDF added.

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The lifeguards, Tang Jie and Leong Wai Kit, were presented with the SCDF Community Lifesaver Award on Sept 13 in recognition of their efforts to save the cyclist's life. 

“SCDF would appreciate if the unknown Good Samaritan could reach out to us so that we can duly recognise his good deed.”

This call for information received an unexpected comment.

It turned out, the Good Samaritan was among SCDF's ranks.

He was identified as Sergeant Mohamed Shariff from Tuas fire station, who died in a traffic accident on Sept 14, a day after the awards ceremony.  

According to local reports, Shariff was riding his motorcycle home when he crashed into a lorry along the Ayer Rajah Expressway. 

The 30-year-old died at the scene after sustaining serious injuries. 

In an interview with Lianhe Wanbao, Shariff’s father, Nazir, said that his kind-hearted son joined the SCDF straight after completing National Service, despite initial concerns from family members. 

The grieving 59-year-old said: “Shariff was a very helpful person with a cheerful and outgoing personality. We miss him very much.” 

When Nazir learnt of his son's accident that day, it was too late for him to see his son for the last time.

chingshijie@asiaone.com