A 30-year-old man who locked himself inside his bedroom at a Woodlands flat was safely taken to hospital after police and emergency responders spent nearly two hours gaining access to him.
The incident happened on 23 Aug at Block 537 Woodlands Drive 16, after the Singapore Police Force (SPF) received a call for assistance at around 3.55pm.
Footage shared on Facebook showed emergency responders carrying out a dramatic rescue operation, including rescuers rappelling down the exterior of the block to reach the man’s unit.
Rescuers rappel from upper-floor flat
In the video, safety nets could be seen deployed around the block as at least two rescuers descended from a unit two floors above the man’s home.
The rescuers were seen outside an open window of a flat on the eighth floor as they prepared to reach the affected unit.
At ground level, a safety life air pack was also set up as a precautionary measure.
Several police vehicles and officers were present at the scene, alongside an ambulance and a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire engine.
The SCDF’s Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) was also deployed and stood by during the operation.
Police assessed man could pose danger
According to SPF, officers arrived at the Woodlands block after receiving the call and found that the man had locked himself inside his room.
Officers from the Special Operations Command and Crisis Negotiation Unit responded together with SCDF after assessing that the man might pose a danger to himself.
SCDF said it deployed a safety life air pack at the location as a precaution, while DART rescuers remained on standby.
Police eventually managed to enter the man’s room at about 5.45pm, almost two hours after the initial call for assistance.
The man was subsequently conveyed to Woodlands Hospital in a conscious state.
Man apprehended under Mental Health Act
The man was later apprehended under Section 7(1) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008.
Under the provision, police may apprehend a person when they believe the individual may pose a danger to themselves or others.
The operation involved multiple emergency agencies and required specialised rescue equipment because of the difficulty in accessing the man’s room.
While the circumstances that led to the man locking himself inside his room were not disclosed, authorities’ response involved both crisis negotiation and specialist rescue personnel.
The dramatic footage of rescuers descending from the upper floors has since circulated online, drawing attention to the emergency operation at the Woodlands block.
Members of the public who encounter someone experiencing a mental health crisis are encouraged to seek professional assistance rather than attempting to handle a potentially dangerous situation themselves.