A 78-year-old man and his neighbour were rescued unharmed from a narrow ledge on the 14th floor of a Jelutong flat on 22 August, after both became paralysed by fear of heights and could not move.
The incident happened at Symphony Park, a residential complex on Jalan Lenggong in George Town. The elderly man had climbed out of a rear window to reach the front door of his unit after assuming it was locked, Malay Mail reported, quoting Bernama.
A 50-year-old neighbour noticed the senior citizen in difficulty and climbed onto the ledge to help. But both men quickly froze once they registered the height, becoming too terrified to move in either direction.
A third neighbour spotted the pair sitting on the exposed ledge and called authorities. The Penang Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) received the emergency alert at 1.28 pm and dispatched eight personnel from the Jalan Perak Fire and Rescue Station.
JBPM operations assistant director John Sagun Francis said firefighters reached the scene and entered the elderly man’s unit through the front door, which turned out to be unlocked the entire time. “Rescuers managed to save both men by entering the senior citizen’s home,” The Star quoted him as saying. “His door was actually unlocked, allowing officers to enter and pull them back through the window.”
Firefighters then pulled both men back inside through the window. The operation ended at 1.52 pm.
Both victims were unharmed and handed over to the police for further action. John urged the public to avoid taking extreme risks in high-rise environments.
The incident highlights the dangers faced by elderly residents in high-rise flats, where confusion over locked doors can lead to life-threatening situations. Symphony Park is a residential complex in the Jelutong area of George Town with multiple blocks of flats housing hundreds of families. High-rise fire safety protocols in Malaysia typically require residents to stay inside during emergencies rather than attempting to exit through windows or exterior corridors.
Under Malaysian fire safety regulations, building management is responsible for maintaining functional locks and providing clear emergency evacuation routes. Residents are advised to contact building security or the fire department if they find themselves locked inside their units, rather than attempting to climb outside.
