KOTA KINABALU: A man believed to be mentally ill has been rescued after refusing to come down from the rooftop of his apartment for over 60 hours in the east coast Sandakan district.
Firefighters and policemen had been trying to persuade the 39-year-old man to come down after he climbed to the top of the three-storey Block D at Flat Sejati Apartment at 10.58pm on Monday night.
Sandakan Fire and Rescue station chief Severinus Sainkui said they managed to restrain the man and bring him to the ground safely at 1.24pm yesterday.
He said five people comprising policemen and firefighters saw the opportunity to apprehend the man while he was lying on his back and looked like he was about to doze off.
“We saw the window and seized the chance to capture him but he put up resistance,” he said when contacted.
The man was also holding a sharp iron object as well as a stick that made the rescue operation delicate, he added.
“We needed to prioritise safety first so, we took away the items he was holding.
“He was still acting aggressively but we managed to hold him down and bound his hands before lowering him to the ground,” Severinus said.
He said the man was then handed over to Health Ministry personnel before being sent to the hospital in an ambulance.
Authorities ended the operation at 2.08pm after assessing there were no other risks at the site, he added.
Those suffering from mental health issues or contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s Family, Social and Community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929, go to www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers and operating hours, or email sam@befrienders.org.my.
