SANDAKAN: The Malaysian Civil Defence Force (APM) here demonstrated efficiency and swift response in two separate rescue operations on Monday evening.
The first operation involved a residential door lock malfunction. APM was alerted by a mother who found herself locked out of her home. She had stepped out briefly to a convenience store and discovered the door lock was faulty upon her return. More alarmingly, calls to her nine-year-old son went unanswered, and her three-year-old younger child was also inside.
The APM Sandakan Special Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team was despatched to the scene. They succeeded to open the door using specialised equipment. An inspection revealed both children were safe and sound asleep, which was why they had not heard their mother’s calls.
Shortly afterwards, the same team responded to another emergency call at Taman Permata, Batu 8, to handle a second incident involving a man trapped in an elevator at Block K.
According to district APM officer Kapten (PA) Sulaiman Salama, the victim was reported to have been trapped for nearly an hour before calling the emergency hotline for assistance. The rescue team arrived at the location, conducted an assessment, and proceeded to open the elevator door to rescue the victim.
“The rescue and extraction process took approximately nine minutes, demonstrating the team’s proficiency and rapid response,” stated Sulaiman. – James Leong
Sandakan APM personnel prying open the lift door to rescue the man trapped inside.
