The Rivervale (for illustration purposes only)
41-year-old woman rescued after being spotted on 16th-floor railing in Sengkang
SINGAPORE: A 41-year-old woman who had been seen sitting on a low railing outside on the 16th-floor Housing & Development Board flat on Monday night (Sept 14) was rescued by the authorities.
The incident occurred at Block 123B Rivervale Drive in Sengkang at around 9:00 p.m.
Afterwards, the woman was brought to the hospital, and then she was apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008.
A resident living in the same building spoke to Shin Min Daily News, saying that she had overheard what the woman had said that may shed light on her mental and emotional state.
Sixty-three-year-old Feng Jingting, who lives on the floor above the woman, told the Chinese daily that at around 11:00 that night, as she was about to go to bed, her son came home and told her that something was going on at their block, adding that he could not take the elevator. She said that when she reached out to her neighbours to find out what was happening, one of her neighbours said she had witnessed the scene, having seen the woman on the ledge.
On her part, when Ms Feng opened her door, she saw personnel from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) getting rescue equipment in case they should be needed. An inflatable safety life air pack was set up at the foot of the block. Officers from the Singapore Police Force were also present at the scene.
Before the police told her to close her door, Ms Feng heard a woman’s voice saying, “Nobody understands me,” twice.
A photo published in Shin Min Daily News showed a slim woman in a T-shirt and shorts sitting on the wall at the entrance to the stairwell located between the 16th and 17th floors. She is seen gripping the handrail.
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Ms Feng also said that the woman was rescued shortly before 11:30 p.m. While the woman appeared to attempt to jump, personnel from the SCDF came down by rope and were able to catch her before anything untoward could happen. /TISG