Final words of Brit girl, 15, killed by boat propeller on field trip to Maldives as parents sue ‘negligent’ school

A BRITISH schoolgirl pleaded for help shortly before she died after being hit by a boat’s propeller on a school excursion, her grief-stricken family have revealed. The tragic final words of Jenna Chan, 15, were included in a lawsuit her parents filed on Monday, accusing the school of negligence. The parents of a 15-year-old British girl who was killed in a snorkelling accident during a trip to the Maldives are suing her school for negligence Credit: Alicia Chan Jenna Chan, 15, died in the horror boating accident while assisting the British registered charity, the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme Credit: Collect Jenna had been assisting a UK conservation charity to protect whale sharks in the Maldives when she died on November 8 2024. She had only just entered the water when she was struck by the propeller on the underside of a boat. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The schoolgirl was hauled from under the vessel with the help of her classmates. In what would be her tragic final words, Jenna briefly regained consciousness to whisper “help me”, CNA reports. She was pronounced dead less than an hour later at the Dhigurah Health Centre. Jenna with her family, who have been devastated by her tragic death Credit: GoFundMe Jenna with her dad Alan, mum Jennifer and sister Alice Her grief-stricken parents, Jennifer Liauw and Alan Chan, filed a negligence claim against her school, St Joseph’s Institution International Ltd, in the High Court of Singapore. They have also named the group the school was working with, the Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP), in the claim. The lawsuit was filed on the day Jenna would have turned 17. Most read in The Sun Ms Liauw said: “We did not want to be here. “For over a year and a half we asked the school to work with us to find out what happened so this can never happen to another child. “Every door was closed. This claim is about accountability, and about making sure Jenna is the last.” The claim alleges there had been serious failures in the school’s duty of care and raised broader concerns about safety on overseas school trips. The boat engine had been engaged when Jenna and other students were in the water, the statement of claim said. Her parents allege the guides failed to provide proper supervision because they were not nearby when Jenna was struck by the propeller. The court claim also alleged the boat crew failed to alert appropriate emergency medical services or administer life-saving assistance to Jenna while she was being transferred. Her parents’ requests for updates on the school’s investigation findings have gone unanswered, the claim alleges. Ms Liauw and Mr Chan have previously accused the school of stonewalling their attempts to find out why their daughter died. The school’s solicitors, Rajah & Tann Singapore, said in a letter dated November 21 2025, that it did not owe Jenna a “positive non-delegable duty of care” from the risk of harm, the statement of claim said. Comment now