As we’re all aware, 11 August 2018 marked the first day of the Hungry Ghost month for this year and with that, comes many taboos that the Chinese community are usually advised to follow.
Source: ZZoob
One of these taboos is to stay away from water, especially the sea as it is believed that water spirits are looking for ‘scapegoats’ to take their place. However, these three youngsters turned a deaf ear to the locals’ advice and one of them is now missing.
According to Sinchew, five close friends aged 18 went to Pulau Ketam a few days ago for a vacation. Two of them left the island first, leaving three of them to continue enjoying their short getaway.
Yesterday afternoon (14 August), the remaining three friends biked from their hotel to a remote part of the island for a swim at 3pm. Before they got into the water, local villagers tried to warn them about the taboo and that it wasn’t a good time to swim.
Source: Sinchew
A local fisherman said,
“In the 7th lunar month, even fishermen who need to go out to the sea will not get into the water because it’s a taboo. But these three teens refused to listen, and that’s why this tragedy happened.”
It is understood that the teen surnamed Tan had used a styrofoam box cover as a floating board and swam further away from his friends. Suddenly, a huge wave hit the victim and overturned the board. His friends tried to save the drowning victim but to no avail, according to China Press.
Source: China Press
At the time of writing, the Fire and Rescue Department and the Marine Operations Force are still trying to locate the missing victim.
Whether it was pure coincidence or the work of evil spirits, our thoughts and prayers are with the young teen.
Also read: 13 Things That Are Totally Taboo During the Hungry Ghost Festival
