Woman falls into drain, rider shields her

Daughter says mother scolded her before she fell

Speaking to Shin Min, the woman’s daughter, 43, said that she and her mother had gone out for a meal that morning.

As they reached a nearby pedestrian crossing, the pedestrian light turned green, prompting her to run across the road. However, the mother ended scolded her for not waiting.

“She sat on the railing, then fell down. I immediately called my younger brother,” she said.

In response to Stomp’s queries, the police confirmed the incident and said the woman was taken to the hospital conscious. She was subsequently apprehended under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act.

In a separate statement, SCDF said its officers used a ladder to gain access into the drain, and brought the woman out to safety before conveying her to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Mother and daughter regularly visited nearby coffee shop

The woman was understood to be a regular at a nearby coffee shop, which she frequently visited with her daughter.

Several patrons and stallholders at the coffee shop told Shin Min they often saw the woman in the area and believed she lived in a nearby HDB block.

A coffee shop employee, who declined to be named, said the woman visited almost every day with her daughter.

“She usually comes twice a day — once in the morning for tea, then later to eat something, usually with a beer,” the employee said.

Another employee, who only wished to be known as Zhang, 75, said the woman was generally quiet and kept to herself.

“I saw her at the coffee shop at around 10am before the incident, but she didn’t seem to be drinking alcohol that day,” said Zhang.

Husband ‘grateful’ to those who helped

The woman’s husband, a 71-year-old cleaner who only wished to be known as Zhuo, said he was shocked when he received the news of the incident while accompanying their son to a medical appointment.

“My friend happened to pass by and saw my wife fall into the drain, so he called me. We went straight to the emergency department,” he said.

Zhuo said his wife had suffered only minor abrasions to her leg, although doctors were still carrying out tests to determine whether she had sustained any other injuries. She remains hospitalised.

“When I saw the drain later on, I realised that it was indeed very deep,” he said. He added that their daughter has an intellectual disability and did not know how to react when the incident happened.

“I’m very grateful to the members of the public who stepped forward to help,” said Zhuo.

Have something to say? Join in!