By Tim Binnall
A member of a paranormal investigation group in Singapore tragically drowned while attempting to swim across a river in response to an individual online who questioned his courage. The unfortunate tale reportedly began earlier this month when the ghost hunter, who went by the moniker Raysan Ace, received a rather hateful Facebook message from a person who declared that his organization was faking their exploits investigating allegedly haunted locations throughout the country. The sinister screed culminated with the stranger challenging the man to swim across the Singapore River before the end of the 'Ghost Month,' which is an annual period in many Asian countries wherein it is believed that the spirits of the dead are free to walk the Earth.
The reason for this specific dare from the online troll is that tradition states that swimming in any body of water during the month is dangerous because a person partaking in such a practice could wind up being the victim of a 'hungry ghost.' In response to his courage being questioned, Ace took to Facebook and declared that he would answer the challenge, much to the chagrin of his friends online who implored him not to attempt such a feat. Undeterred by their misgivings, the ghost hunter set about making the dangerous swim this past Friday morning at around 2:30 AM.
In order to prove that he had accomplished the task, Ace brought along a friend who was tasked with filming the entire affair. Prior to getting into the river, at a point known as 'Boat Quay,' Ace explained to viewers what he was about to do to and offered an eerily prophetic warning to them. "Please do not try this if you are not an expert swimmer," he said, before conceding that "I am not." The swim began without incident and Ace could be seen in the water as he moved away from the shore, but the motion suddenly ceased around five minutes into the stunt and there was no sign of the man in the river.
Likely believing that the ghost hunter had simply sum beyond where the camera could see him, his friend kept filming for another 20 minutes until he presumably realized that something had gone horribly wrong. Although it is uncertain when the authorities were informed about what had occurred, police ultimately recovered Ace's body from the water the following day and determined that he had drowned while attempting the perilous swim. An investigation into the incident is now underway, but it remains to be seen whether or not the person who issued the initial challenge will face any punishment for their dastardly dare.