Woman, 69, falls into Hougang drain

A 69-year-old woman landed inside a 3m-deep drain in Hougang after allegedly quarrelling with her daughter.

The incident occurred on Jul. 14 at about 11:45am at a drain located near Block 698B Hougang Street 61, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Daughter

The woman’s daughter, 43, told Shin Min that she had gone out with her mother for breakfast that morning.

When they were near the drain, the daughter reportedly saw the traffic light turn green and wanted to run across the road.

However, her mother apparently scolded her for not waiting for her.

The older woman then purportedly sat on the railing before falling into the drain.

The daughter called her younger brother to inform him of the situation.

Shade

A shop worker nearby told Shin Min that after the woman fell, about 40 to 50 passersby gathered at the scene.

A man then went into the drain with an umbrella to provide the woman shade from the sun.

According to the worker, the man appeared to be a food delivery rider.

Another passerby, also a food delivery rider, told Shin Min that the woman appeared to be able to speak at the time and had no visible injuries.

He said paramedics put a neck brace on her, and the rescue process took about 30 minutes.

Woman's husband

The woman's husband, 71, told Shin Min that his daughter has low IQ and did not know how to react when her mother fell into the drain.

He said his wife brought their daughter out for a meal as he had to bring his son to the hospital for a follow-up appointment.

He shared that his wife suffered only minor injuries sustained from the fall.

Rescue

According to Shin Min, the drain the woman fell into had railings.

The height from the top of the railing to the bottom of the drain was more than 3m.

At least nine emergency responders from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) went into the drain to bring the woman out.

They were seen securing the woman onto a stretcher, before moving her to a ladder.

In response to Mothership's queries, the SCDF and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said they received a call for assistance near Block 698B Hougang Street 61 that day.

Upon arrival, a person was found lying in a drain.

SCDF used a ladder to access the drain and brought the woman to safety.

The woman was conveyed conscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

She was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008.