A 33-year-old man was safely rescued after he was found sitting on a ledge at a commercial building in Commonwealth on Thursday night (Aug 20).
The incident took place at around 8pm at One Commonwealth, a nine-storey light industrial development located at 1 Commonwealth Lane. Police officers responding to the scene assessed that the man could potentially pose a danger to himself.
Given the situation, the police’s crisis negotiation unit and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were activated to assist with the rescue operation.
SCDF Deploys Specialist Rescue Team
Footage circulating on social media showed SCDF rescuers carrying out a high-angle rescue operation at the building. Members of the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were seen rappelling down the nine-storey structure from a higher floor.
The rescuers subsequently accessed the floor below through an opening as they worked to reach the man safely.
SCDF said it deployed two safety life air packs as a precaution during the operation. Rescue nets were also put in place while the DART team carried out the controlled descent.
The operation required careful coordination between the emergency services, with officers also working to communicate with the man during the incident.
Man Rescued Safely After Nearly Three-Hour Operation
The man was eventually brought to safety at around 10.40pm, roughly two hours and 40 minutes after emergency services were activated.
He was subsequently taken to the National University Hospital for further assessment and care.
The man was later apprehended under Section 7(1) of Singapore’s Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008. The provision allows police to apprehend a person believed to be dangerous to himself or other people.
The incident highlights the specialist capabilities available to emergency responders in Singapore when dealing with potentially dangerous situations involving elevated locations.
The use of DART personnel, rescue nets and safety air packs allowed the authorities to manage the operation while reducing the risk of injury during the rescue.
Police and SCDF did not provide further details about the man’s circumstances. No injuries were reported in connection with the rescue operation.
The successful intervention also underscores the importance of coordinated emergency response when members of the public are believed to be in immediate danger, with specialist teams able to provide both crisis management and technical rescue support.