A rescue operation on Wednesday (Jan 15) afternoon had onlookers in Jalan Besar craning their necks.
They watched as a woman hanging from an aircon ledge in a yellow T-shirt of a unit on the 14th floor of Block 7 King George’s Avenue was rescued.
Two other persons could be seen sitting on the ledge as they held onto the woman whose body was dangling in the air.
In a clip shared by Reddit user obiwanguacamole, several officers were seen assessing the situation from the window.
SCDF saves man holding on to his life earlier today from r/singapore
A male Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer climbed out to the ledge, and squeezed his body between the open window pane and the air-con compressor to reach the woman.
It was difficult to move around within the tight space on the ledge, so the compressor was removed for the rescue of the woman hanging from an aircon ledge.
Image source: Reddit
Once it was out of the way, the officer swiftly heaved the woman onto the ledge by the back of her shorts.
As she was pulled to safety, a round of claps rang out.
The person who recorded the clip could also be heard calling the SCDF officer a hero for his brave act.
A SCDF spokesperson told AsiaOne that they received a call for assistance on Jan 15 at 1.25pm and saw a person on the window ledge when they arrived at the scene.
The person was rescued by SCDF, the police, and members of the public by manually pulling the person to safety, the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, the police told AsiaOne that a 62-year-old woman was subsequently arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act.
Woman hanging from an aircon ledge: where to find help if you’re feeling suicidal
Image source: iStock
Statistics revealed that suicide in Singapore has increased over the years.
In 2018, there were 397 cases of death by suicide, an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2017’s figure of 361 deaths.
Suicide was the leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 29.
Furthermore, men were more likely to commit suicide compared to women, with 7 out of every 10 suicides done by males.
Ms Wong Lai Chun, Senior Assistant Director of Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), shared that potential stereotypes of how men should behave and expectations placed on them could be a major contributing factor.
“Men are stereotypically expected to be tough, stoic, and financially stable. The slightest hint of vulnerability can be seen as an imperfection”, Ms Wong explained.
Image source: iStock
If you are having thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, or know of someone who wants to take their own life, please use the following contacts for help.
- Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444
- Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
- CHAT @ *SCAPE: (+65) 6493 6500, (+65) 6493 6501
- SAF Counselling Hotline: 1800-278-0022
The woman hanging from an aircon ledge is safe. But suicide in Singapore continues to rise each year. Please talk to a close friend or a professional if you need urgent help—know that you aren’t alone and things can get better.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and was republished with permission on theAsianparent.
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