Man in Yishun survives fall from 9th floor thanks to air pack
The man lost his footing and fell nine storeys down onto an air pack, which had been set up by the SCDF.
PHOTO: Facebook/Zaid Khan
PUBLISHED ONAugust 28, 2024 3:40 AMByBhavya RawatA man plunged nine floors from an HDB block in Yishun onto a safety life air pack, which cushioned the impact of the fall.
A video of the incident was posted to Facebook group Complaint Singapore on Tuesday (Aug 27) evening.
The clip, which has amassed over a thousand reactions and a hundred comments, shows the man standing on a ledge outside the window of a flat, facing away from it.
The man then attempts to manoeuvre around a pillar and cross onto the ledge of the next unit but loses his footing and falls.
He then lands on the safety life air pack below him with a thud, to the shock of onlookers - who can be heard screaming.
Another video posted on Xiaohongshu shows the air pack being set up by several officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) at the time.
Once he hits the air pack, the man can be seen lying motionless, face down, as SCDF officers rush to check on him.
A few of the personnel present later then seen covering the man with a towel and transferring him onto a stretcher.
After viewing the clips, some netizens expressed worry for the man, saying that the air pack appeared to be partially inflated.
"Omg seems like there is not enough air in the airbag? There is no bouncy motion after [the] fall," one of them commented.
Others pointed out that the air pack had been sufficiently prepared, but appeared to be deflated as the man had landed on the corner instead of the middle.
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, SCDF said that it received a call for assistance at Block 624 Yishun Ring Road on Tuesday at about 10.35am.
When they arrived at the scene, a 41-year-old man was seen standing on a ledge on the ninth floor.
He then fell onto the safety life air pack as it was being inflated, and was subsequently conveyed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital by SCDF.
According to the police, the man was apprehended under Section 7 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act.
SINGAPORE HELPLINES
- Samaritans of Singapore: 1-767
- Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
- Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800
- Institute of Mental Health's Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222
- Silver Ribbon: 6386-1928
ALSO READ: 'I heard him screaming for help': Man falls 15 storeys from Jurong West flat and survives
bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com