S'pore man, 81, with dementia, missing for 6 days, found on Bidadari BTO block rooftop

Six days after he went missing, an 81-year-old man with dementia was found on the rooftop of a block of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats in Bidadari on May 7, and brought to hospital.

The man, Lau Sung Pong, had fainted next to the water tank, but was spotted by a migrant worker who notified his construction company to call an ambulance, according to Shin Min Daily News.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told Mothership that on May 7, at around 6pm, they received a call for assistance at Block 227A Bartley Walk.  It is one of the four blocks in the ParkEdge@Bidadari estate.

SCDF then conveyed Lau to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Went missing for 6 days

Appeals to the public for information on Lau had been circulating on social media after he went missing.

A message shared to the CARA app by Dementia Singapore indicated that Lau, who has dementia, was last seen at a bus stop near Bidadari Park on the evening of May 1.

Police were also alerted.

On May 6, Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua sent out a plea on her Facebook page, urging the public to look out for Lau and notify her and the police if he was found.

Phua subsequently posted an update on May 7 that Lau had been found.

Found on a rooftop next to water tank

Lau's niece, Xu (transliteration), told Shin Min that on the evening of May 7, her mobile phone received a signal from the AirTag that Lau was wearing.

When Xu called the police, they notified her that Lau had been found.

To Xu's knowledge, construction workers at the site had spotted Lau on the rooftop and called an ambulance.

A paramedic was subsequently able to connect to Lau's AirTag using a compatible phone.

A worker told Shin Min that his colleague, a migrant worker, had seen Lau lying next to the water tank.

Lau appeared to have fainted and was very weak.

The migrant worker then called his company and notified the police.

In hospital for observation

Lau is now warded in hospital under observation, and has lost a lot of weight, his family told Shin Min.

Lau's family also expressed their gratitude for members of the public who helped search for Lau over the past few days.

"We have been searching for many days, including an overnight search in Clementi on May 6. Thankfully we received good news on May 7 [that he has been found]. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief," said a family member.

As for how Lau ended up on the rooftop, Lau's family shared with Shin Min that it could have been because Lau used to work as a water tank repairman.

The location where Lau was found was also within walking distance from the bus stop where he was last seen and his home.

"As he has dementia, he likely couldn't recognise the way home. Additionally, as he used to repair water tanks, perhaps he subconsciously made his way to the rooftop to rest," said Lau's godson.

Top image from Denise Phua/Facebook & Shin Min Daily News