Worker saves 6-year-old boy trapped on ledge of block
Bangladeshi, who was pruning trees, used spider lift to rescue boy in Hougang
Left alone at home for just a few minutes, a young boy climbed out of an open window and found himself trapped on a narrow ledge on the third storey outside his Housing Board flat in Hougang on Sunday.
Visibly frightened, the six-year-old repeatedly cried out for help and for his mother, as a group of passers-by and residents watched nervously from below, fearing the worst.
The commotion drew the attention of a group of migrant workers nearby who were using a spider lift to prune trees.
One of them, known only as Mr Dipto, sprang into action and used the lift to get to the boy, bringing him down to safety as residents cheered his heroics.
The incident, which was captured on video, happened at around 7.50am.
The boy was later assessed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and did not need to be taken to hospital.
Speaking to The New Paper over the phone yesterday, the boy's father, who did not want to be identified, said words could not express how thankful he was to the workers who saved his son.
He said he was on Stay Home Notice (SHN) elsewhere and unable to be with his family.
"My wife was the only one looking after him and had to go out for a short while to get groceries," he said.
"We're very traumatised by this incident, but we're very thankful to the workers and we'll be trying to find them to thank them."
His wife, who spoke to TNP from their three-room flat, said she will ensure such an incident does not happen again.
A resident of the block, who wanted to be known only as Madam Chen, 60, said she had just returned from the market when she saw people gathering at the ground floor.
The retiree said: "There were people calling the authorities on their phones and urging them to come quickly, while others were jumping around in panic."
She said the workers who stepped forward did so without hesitation, and rescued the boy quickly in a calm manner.
"The boy wasn't crying, but he was clearly scared and kept calling out for his mother," she said.
"It could have been a disaster. But thankfully, the workers came to save him."
She added the boy's mother looked distressed as she grabbed her son before leaving the scene shortly after.
Mr Dipto, the worker who saved the child, has been identified as a Bangladeshi worker from Yong Aik Construction.
A company spokesman told TNP yesterday the company was proud of him.
She said: "It was raining and so the tree-pruning team we had there were on standby with the spider lift when they heard the commotion.
"Mr Dipto did not hesitate to save the boy, and the company will be commending him for his good job. The management is discussing how we can reward him."
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