Elderly man gets head trapped between pipes in Aljunied flat toilet, rescued 18 hours later

An elderly man was rescued from the toilet of his Aljunied flat after a fall left his head trapped between two pipes for 18 hours. 

The incident occurred last Thursday (Nov 27) at about 10pm, according to Shin Min Daily News. 

The 87-year-old man, surnamed Wu, lived alone in his flat at Block 96 Aljunied Crescent. According to Shin Min, Wu usually moves around in a wheelchair but is able to care for himself independently. 

Wu's head had ended up wedged between the toilet pipes during the fall, leaving him immobile. He also did not have the strength to push himself back up. 

He was only rescued the following afternoon, after his friend, surnamed Li, sensed that something was amiss as Wu did not pick up his calls. 

The two former neighbours share a close friendship, with Li visiting the latter two to three times a week. Li also kept a copy of of Wu's house keys. 

Li discovered Wu lying helpless in the toilet after arriving at the flat at about 3.40pm on Nov 28. 

Wu's right ear was bleeding and he was in a semi-conscious state, said Li, who managed to release Wu's head from between the pipes. 

Photos seen by Shin Min showed traces of blood on the toilet pipes where Wu's head was stuck. 

Wu was taken to hospital by ambulance where he is currently receiving treatment, reported the Chinese evening daily on Dec 2. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed the incident in a statement to AsiaOne on Dec 3. It stated that SCDF had received a call for assistance on Nov 28 at about 3.50pm, and one person was conveyed to Changi General Hospital. 

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candicecai@asiaone.com