One of the two lifts in his Housing Board block was not working, and the one he was in did not stop on his floor but went up and down several times before stalling between the 12th and 13th storeys.
The 75-year-old man, whose flat was on the 19th storey, called his son and told him he was stuck in the lift.
The son, who wanted to be known only as Mr Shen, said the moment he heard the news, he started to worry for his father.
The 39-year-old had just dropped him off at the block in Toa Payoh.
He told Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao: "Because my father had suffered a heart attack, I was worried he would have difficulty breathing while trapped in the lift, and I was afraid he would have a sudden heart attack."
His father, though alone in the lift, was among several elderly residents affected when both the lifts at Block 196 Kim Keat Avenue were not operational for six hours on Saturday.
After Mr Shen got the call from his father, he rang the town council, who sent a technician to the block.
Mr Shen's father was rescued 30 minutes later.
"When my father was rescued, he was sweating profusely and looked frightened," said Mr Shen.
But that was not the end of the elderly man's troubles. He still needed to walk up the stairs to reach his unit.
After negotiating two floors, Mr Shen had to carry his father the rest of the way.
Several other residents of the 25-storey block were affected by the disruption.
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A 74-year-old woman, who wanted to be known only as Madam Hong Yue'e, was returning home with her 10-year-old granddaughter whom she had just fetched from school, when she realised both lifts were not working.
There were more than 20 residents stranded at the foot of the block.
She said: "My granddaughter was hungry and I couldn't wait. We walked up 11 flights of stairs."
When Wanbao visited the block yesterday morning, one of the lifts was still under maintenance.
There was a notice on the lift door posted by Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council, expressing deep regret for the breakdown and thanking the residents for their understanding.
An 80-year-old resident, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lin, said: "I can understand the failure of one lift, but the fact that both could not be used at the same time is really terrible.
" I hope the town council can investigate this matter."
This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
