A 24-year-old man was perched on the 38th floor ledge of a Housing and Development Board (HDB) block of flats.

The incident occurred at Block 21 Teban Gardens Road on Aug. 12 before noon.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) were alerted to the incident at about 1:35pm.

5-hour rescue operation

The man had climbed over the railing of the stairwell between the 38th and 39th floors, and proceeded to stand on the ledge for over five hours, reported Shin Min Daily News.

SCDF deployed one safety life air pack, while rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) were on standby as a precautionary measure.

More than 20 onlookers were at the scene.

Man apprehended

According to Shin Min, negotiations with the man ensued, and it was only around 4pm that the man was pulled to safety.

Two DART members slid down to the ledge and heaved the man back into the stairwell.

Responding to Mothership's queries, the police confirmed that they received a call for assistance at 11:25am and officers from the Crisis Negotiation Unit and SCDF responded to the incident.

The man was later apprehended under the Mental Health Act.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767

Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019

Institute of Mental Health: 6389-2222 (24 hours)

Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (for primary school-aged children)

SHECARES@SCWO: Call 8001 01 4616 or WhatsApp 6571 4400 (for targets of online harms)

Top images via Google Maps and Shin Min Daily News