A rescue incident in Taman Jurong on 27 November turned into a complicated two-hour operation after the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call about a person whose arm was completely trapped in a drain pipe. The incident happened at Block 338A Tah Ching Road, and SCDF shared the details in a Facebook post on Thursday night.
How the Incident Started
SCDF said it received the call for help at about 1.35pm. When firefighters from Jurong Fire Station and rescuers from the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team arrived, they found the person’s entire left arm stuck in the drain pipe under the kitchen sink. The person was conscious but unable to free the arm at all.
Creating Space to Work
According to SCDF, rescuers first had to create enough working space inside the unit. This meant removing the kitchen sink and the whole cabinet that held the drain pipe. Photos shared showed the entire sink counter completely demolished to make room for the rescue operation.
Another SCDF team went to the unit directly below. From there, they worked to cut out a section of the drain pipe. SCDF said this was needed so rescuers could see exactly how the arm was trapped and decide the safest way to free it.
How the Arm Was Freed
SCDF mentioned that a segment of the pipe was carved out carefully. With better visibility and access, rescuers slowly worked to free the stuck limb. They then applied a lubricant to help ease the arm out of the pipe.
After almost two hours of effort, the person was finally extricated. The individual remained conscious throughout the rescue operation. An Ng Teng Fong General Hospital medical team was also present to give medical support, which included applying an intravenous drip during the process.
SCDF said it later conveyed the person to the National University Hospital for further medical attention.
