The spot (circled) at the tower crane from where the man attempted to jump to his death.
The man detained by rescue personnel after attempting to jump from a 50-foot tower crane and threatening rescue personnel at a construction site at Signal Hill on Monday.
KOTA KINABALU: A man who is said to be mentally ill caused a stir when he not only tried to take his own life by jumping from a 50-foot tower crane but also threatened rescue personnel with an iron rod at a construction site at Signal Hills here on Monday.
The incident happened at around 7.30pm when the man, a foreigner in his 20s, climbed up the tower crane and attempted to jump to his death.
Family members and workers at the construction site immediately alerted the police and personnel of the Fire and Rescue Department and the Sabah Civil Defence Department (JPAM) for assistance, arriving at the scene within several minutes.
Rescue personnel and family members tried to coax the man to come down but he refused as he was determined to jump.
However, after about two hours later, the man finally gave up and came down from the tower crane possibly due to hunger and thirst.
As rescue personnel approached him, the man immediately turned violent and started chasing after the rescue personnel and anyone within his path with an iron rod.
He was yelling and chasing away anyone who tried to help him and was also heard talking to himself.
To prevent any untoward incident from happening, an ambush was set-up and the man was detained about 30 minutes later.
He was immediately taken to the city police headquarters in Karamunsing for investigation before being taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
According to a family member, who declined to be identifed, this was the second time that the victim had tried to commit suicide.
“He tried to take his own life once, several months back but we managed to stop him.
“Yes, he is suffering from mental illness,” said a family member who is working at the construction site.