Brit schoolgirl killed in brutal propeller tragedy whereas snorkelling in Maldives
Jenna Chan was on a week-long school trip to the Maldives with her classmates when she died after being sucked under a boat – her parents are still searching for answers
A British teenager has tragically lost her life in a harrowing propeller accident while on a school trip in the Maldives.
Jenna Chan, just 15 years old, met with disaster on what was meant to be an adventure-filled week with the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme, a charity registered in the UK.
Fellow students who were with Jenna described the day it happened as akin to living through a “nightmare” when she was pulled beneath the boat shortly after diving into the water.
Maldives Police Service released a report confirming that Jenna’s death occurred on a “snorkelling excursion”. As per the documentation made available to The Times, it stated: “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.”
Devastated parents Alan Chan and Jennifer Liauw are searching for closure following the dreadful event, expressing to the media outlet: “Jenna was just sunshine. She was the warmest, smiliest person. She held the family together for us.”
“She was her sister Alisha’s soulmate. She wanted to be a geriatrician because she loved old people. She was always helpful.”
They added: “We know the guides were not on the boat at the time she entered the water…it’s almost Christmas and we still have no answers. We want to know what happened. The whole truth [and] if somebody was negligent.”
Jenna, a British-Singaporean teen, was studying at St Joseph’s International Institution in Singapore, which arranged the compulsory excursion for its ninth graders, , reports the Mirror.
A spokesperson from the Foreign Office confirmed: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in the Maldives and are in contact with the local authorities.”
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