An 87-year-old man was rescued from his Aljunied flat after his head became wedged between two toilet pipes during a fall, leaving him trapped for nearly 18 hours.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed the rescue in a statement to AsiaOne on Wednesday, December 3, noting that it received the call for assistance at around 3.50 pm on November 28.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the incident occurred on Thursday, November 27, at around 10 pm at Block 96 Aljunied Crescent.
The man, surnamed Wu, lives alone and typically uses a wheelchair but is able to care for himself independently. During the fall, Wu became immobile and lacked the strength to free himself.
He was discovered the following afternoon by a friend, surnamed Li, who had grown concerned when Wu did not answer his calls. The two former neighbours share a close friendship, with Li visiting Wu two to three times a week and keeping a spare set of his house keys. Li found Wu lying helpless in the toilet at approximately 3.40 pm on November 28.
Wu's right ear was bleeding, and he was in a semi-conscious state, Li said. He managed to release Wu's head from between the pipes before calling for help. Photographs obtained by Shin Min showed traces of blood on the toilet pipes where Wu had been trapped.
Wu was taken by ambulance to Changi General Hospital, where he is receiving treatment.
