Missing elderly man sent to hospital after being found on rooftop of Bartley HDB block
After going missing for six days, an 81-year-old man was found on the roof of an under-construction HDB block in Bartley on Wednesday (7 May).
Mr Lau Sung Pong, who has dementia, went missing after leaving his Serangoon home alone on 1 May, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Family of missing man appealed to public for help
As Mr Lau’s family was unable to find him, they appealed for help from the public, with many netizens spreading the news on social media.
Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua also joined in with a Facebook post, which has gained more than 1,400 reactions so far.
She urged members of the public to help look out for him. Anyone who found him should report it on the post and to the police, she said.
Missing man found on Bartley HDB rooftop
Mr Lau was finally found at about 6pm on Wednesday, when a migrant worker went up to the rooftop of Block 227A Bartley Walk to prepare for the next day’s maintenance work.
The block is reportedly still awaiting its Temporary Occupation Permit.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He found the elderly man lying unconscious next to the water tank and quickly called for an ambulance.
Mr Lau’s niece Amy Hoi, 42, said her phone suddenly received a signal that evening from the AirTag on her uncle.
Apparently, one of the paramedics attending to him had a compatible iPhone that connected to the AirTag.
The family immediately called the police and learnt that he had been found.
Missing man may have survived on bottled water & rain for 6 days
Mr Lau’s godson, 43-year-old salesman He Weili (transliterated from Mandarin), suspected that the elderly man had survived on just bottled water and rainwater for six days.
That’s because an almost-empty bottle of mineral water was found next to him on the roof.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
He also had left his umbrella and handkerchief on the 13th-floor railing.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
The family believes that Mr Lau got lost on the way home due to his dementia.
As he used to be a water tank repairman, he could have subconsciously headed to the rooftop water tank, as it was a familiar place.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Thankfully, he was found in time, or he could have died, Mr He added.
Elderly man now recovering in hospital
In response to queries from MS News, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they conveyed one person to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Mr Lau is now recovering in the hospital as he is weak from his ordeal and has lost a lot of weight, the family said.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
They said they had received messages from helpful members of the public, informing them that the missing man was suspected to have been seen at locations like Clementi.
They thanked them for their help, expressing relief at successfully finding him.
Also read: 91-year-old US man with dementia missing for 2 days found after wife spots him on TV
91-year-old US man with dementia missing for 2 days found after wife spots him on TV
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.
