A 49-year-old man was making a delivery in Yishun at around 12:20pm on Sep. 5 when he saw an elderly man standing on the 10th floor ledge of Block 109 Yishun Ring Road, having climed over the railing.

In response, the man, Chua Lee Koon, immediately shouted for the elderly man, who is in his 70s, to get down to safety, reported 8world News.

As the elderly man appeared unmoved, Chua alerted the police.

In the hopes that someone would come to his assistance, he also shouted: "Someone is about to jump off the block!"

Resident rushed over to help

Chua's cry for help caught the attention of 37-year-old Saride Venkata Kasi Viswanadh, a nearby resident who was working from home that day, reported 8world.

When Venkata Kasi walked out of his unit and noticed the elderly man sitting on the ledge, he rushed to Block 109.

Venkata Kasi even climbed 10 flights of stairs as the HDB block's elevator had broken down.

After arriving on the 10th floor where the elderly man was, Venkata Kasi tried to calm the man on the ledge down and persuade him to get to safety.

Kept comforting elderly man

According to Venkata Kasi, at the time, the elderly man's face was "pale", and he could not stop crying, reported 8world.

The elderly man also appeared "extremely depressed" and "seemed to have lots of things on his mind that he wanted to express".

Venkata Kasi added that at one point, the elderly man reached out his hand and asked Venkata Kasi to pull him back into the block.

"However, I was a bit hesitant at the time because I worried I wasn't strong enough to pull him back safely. As such, I told him that police would arrive very soon and kept on comforting him," he recounted.

Elderly man successfully rescued

After the police arrived, Chua and Venkata Kasi assisted police officers in rescuing the elderly man from the ledge and brought him back into the block.

Looking back, Venkata Kasi told 8world he could not just stand on the side when faced with such an urgent situation.

"This happened right before our eyes. If we have the ability to save him but choose not to, we will definitely feel extremely guilty," he shared.

Men received Public Spiritedness Award

For their heroic act, Chua and Venkata Kasi were presented with the Public Spiritedness Award by the Woodlands Police Division on Sep. 18, according to a news release issued by the Singapore Police Force.

Commander of Woodlands Police Division and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ang Eng Seng spoke highly of the two men:

"Both Chua and Venkata Kasi played an important role in the rescue effort, and their selflessness and public-spiritedness are commendable. Their actions are an example of how members of the public can step forward to assist the police."

"We hope that their act will serve to inspire others to keep the community safe," Ang added.

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 | Whatsapp: 65714400 (for targets of online harms)

Top images via Singapore Police Force & 8world News