British girl, 15, killed by boat propeller while snorkelling on school trip

The parents of a teenage girl who was killed when she was dragged under the sea by a boat propeller say they are still looking for answers.

Jenna Chan, 15, from Singapore, was out snorkelling on a school trip in the Maldives, when she was killed on November 8.

The teen and a group of herfriends were in the water when the engine of the boat turned on.

The boat then reversed into the group and dragged Jenna down under.

Her family and friends described the teen as ‘caring’ and ‘nurturing’.

Jenna’s parents, Alan Chan and Jennifer Liauw spoke to The Times, and said they could not contact their daughter on the trip due to a no phone policy.

They claim authorities in the Maldives did not offer them a post-mortem examination of their daughter’s body.

No witness statements from teachers or students who were with Jenna at the time were given, they also claimed.

Because of this they feel there was ‘no real investigation’ into their daughter’s death.

A GoFundMe page has been started by Jenna’s 17-year-old sister, Alice, to help with the family’s legal fees as they search for answers.

Some £4,600 of the £10,000 target has been raised so far.

She wrote on the page: ‘My sister, 15 year old British-Singaporean Jenna Chan, was killed in a propeller accident during a school trip in the Maldives’, the caption for the fundraiser said.

‘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.’

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.’ 

Jenna was a student at St Joseph’s International Institution in Singapore and was laid to rest on November 15.

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