Elderly cyclist falls face down on tarmac at Punggol PCN after wild boar charges at him

A cyclist in his 70s fell face down and suffered multiple cheekbone fractures after a wild boar charged at him and knocked him off his bicycle in Punggol, said his son.

His son, William Chew, shared what happened on Facebook on Friday (Dec 2).

William said: "My dad was knocked down by an adult wild boar while cycling on Nov 29 around 8pm."

He said his father was a seasoned cyclist on the Park Connector Network (PCN), having cycled 200km to 300km every week for the past two years.

"Weather was good so he took the opportunity to go for a solo ride," recounted William.

"As he was coasting down the bridge, he noticed an adult wild boar in the opposite direction of the PCN suddenly charging towards him from 45 degrees and knocking him off the bike. The huge impact caused him to land face down on the tarmac with a cracked helmet.

"I can't stress the importance of wearing a helmet even when riding on the PCN which probably saved his life. Luckily, he heeded my advice."

William was "super grateful" for a couple who witnessed the incident and went to help his dad.

"They walked him and his bike to the nearest HDB block at 669B Edgefield Plains before contacting me to pick him up and take him to Sengkang General Hospital A&E," said William.

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"His entire face was covered in abrasions and cuts to the eyebrow, which required stitches."

"Initial observation was that his hands, shoulders and collarbone were all intact. But after detailed X-rays and CT scans, it was discovered that there were multiple fractures to his cheekbone. A specialist informed him there would be a high chance of surgery as the cheekbones were critical in supporting his eyes and maintaining his face structure."

William added that he had reported the incident.

"Thank you, NParks for reaching out and showing concern for my dad. NParks informed us that they have fenced up the affected area."

William said that he was sharing what happened to his father so that PCN riders in Punggol would be aware of wild boars in the vicinity and the importance of wearing safety gear when cycling.

Stomp has contacted NParks for more info.

On its website, NParks advises that when you encounter a wild boar:

• Be calm and move slowly away from the animal. Do not approach or attempt to feed the animal.
• Keep a safe distance and do not corner or provoke the animal, by using a flash while taking pictures of it, for example.
• If you see adults with young piglets, leave them alone. These are potentially more dangerous because they may attempt to defend their young.

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