Woman, 48, falls into water at Woodlands Waterfront Park, rescued by restaurant staff

A 48-year-old woman was rescued by an employee of a nearby restaurant at Woodlands Waterfront after falling into the waters at the seaside park on Thursday (Jan 29). 

A restaurant employee at Rasa Istimewa Restaurant, who wished to be known only as Sagar, 36, told Shin Min Daily News that he had arrived at the restaurant at 11.35am on his bicycle when he suddenly heard a scream.

Initially assuming the sounds were from people arguing, Sagar soon realised they were mixed with the crashing waves and cries for help. 

Sensing that something was wrong, he went to the beach to check and found an Indian woman, in the water, tightly gripping a nylon rope with both hands.

Without hesitation, Sagar said he shouted for help, grabbed a lifebuoy, and threw it into the water while calling the police.

While waiting for the police to arrive, he continued talking to the woman, offering reassurance.

"I told her not to panic, that the rescuers would be there soon to get her ashore," said Segar, who has been working at the restaurant for 12 years. 

Fearing the woman would not trust him, Sagar told Shin Min Daily News that he sought the help of a female passer-by to assist with communication.

"I think in this situation, it's easier to gain trust when talking to someone of the same sex, and it also helps the other person stay calm," he said. 

Rescue mission launched 

When authorities arrived at the scene, a rescue operation was launched, and the woman was pulled to safety after about 15 minutes.

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed that they received a call for assistance at Woodlands Waterfront at 11.45am. 

A 48-year-old woman was taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and was apprehended under Section 7 of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008.

It was also reported that a patrol boat, a rescue boat, police cars, and fire trucks were deployed to assist, with about five police officers and six SCDF personnel present at the scene.

When asked about the rescue, Sagar told Shin Min that he never thought of himself as a hero.

"At that moment, I only had one thought in my mind — to get the person out of the water as quickly as possible," he said.

AsiaOne has reached out to Rasa Istimewa Restaurant for comment. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com