23-year-old man with special needs goes missing, found after SMRT bus driver & passenger recognise him

SMRT bus driver recognised missing 23-year-old man with special needs who was missing for a day

A 23-year-old man with special needs who went missing for over a day, has been found safe after an SMRT bus driver and a passenger recognised him on a Service 972 bus.

He had gone missing on Tuesday (21 Oct) morning after leaving home alone, prompting his family to make appeals online on Facebook.

The bus driver and a passenger spotted him on Wednesday morning and alerted authorities, leading to a reunion at Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange.

Bus driver alerts authorities after spotting him

Jiang Jifeng (name transliterated from Chinese) was found on Wednesday (22 Oct) morning, a day after his family appealed for help on social media.

According to Shin Min Daily News, his family received a call around 9am saying the Service 972 driver and a passenger had recognised Jifeng. The driver, having seen his photo in missing person posts, quickly notified the relevant authorities.

The bus was travelling towards Bukit Panjang Bus Interchange, where Jifeng’s family rushed to meet him. They reunited soon after, confirming he was safe and unharmed.

“He was very happy to see me,” said Madam Jiang. “He was just a little tired after walking all day and night, so he fell asleep quickly after returning home.”

Medical staff later confirmed that Jifeng was in good health, Shin Min Daily News reported.

“Thank you for everyone’s help and care,” Madam Jiang said. “We’re deeply thankful.”

Went missing after leaving home alone

Madam Jiang, had shared on Facebook that her son went missing on Tuesday (21 Oct) morning after leaving home around 10.30am. The post has since been taken down.

In the post, she shared that he was last seen wearing a white and turquoise collared T-shirt, grey shorts, and carrying a white backpack printed with “Mind Stretcher.”

CCTV footage later showed him near Hillion Mall in Bukit Panjang at 10.44am. He was believed to have travelled there alone by train.

According to Shin Min Daily News, the family immediately called the police but “there were no updates until Tuesday afternoon”. The family then posted online appeals for information.

MS News has reached out to SMRT for more information.

Also read: Teen girls in S’pore go missing a day after each other, 1 found in less than 24 hours