Fire and rescue personnel grabbing Jefry as he tried to climb off the ledge in an attempt to avoid being rescued.
KOTA KINABALU: A suicide attempt at a hotel temporarily brought business activities to a halt in the usually busy and bustling business area of Jalan Kemajuan in Karamunsing early yesterday morning.
Entry into the adjacent banks was closed as onlookers on the streets and inside the buildings began to witnes the unfolding of a drama of a potential suicide attempt — the shocking sight of a Filipino man straddling the extremely thin ledge of a new hotel building just outside the windows of its fifth floor rooms.
As the crowd looked on anxiously, the 43-year-old man was seen continually screaming out his demands in Tagalog and English while occasionally flailing his arms and banging on the hotel windows. He was also seen pointing menacingly and shouting “No” to anyone who tried to open the window to get close to him.
An unknown man was also seen trying to pass a thick soft bounded black book, believed to be a bible, to the suicidal man, who was later identified as Jefry by the police.
“He kept asking to see a priest and said he only wants to talk to a priest,” said an unnamed male worker of the hotel to other onlookers on the street.
“He kept saying that this place has so many churches but wonders why no one is bringing a priest over here,” said the same and almost bemused onlooker, who added that the Filipino kept saying that he is a victim of an unknown situation.
Jefry was later seen taking off his jacket and drinking out of a small mineral water bottle as the temperatures started to pick up from the rising sun.
Fire and rescue as well as civil defense personnel getting ready to catch Jefry should he fall from the fifth floor.
Onlookers could see that the Filipino was almost apologetic to fire and rescue as well as civil defense personnel below for spitting from the fifth floor. The personnel just looked up stoically as they began suspending a large thick canvas below as a precautionary measure. Mattresses could be seen stacked under the canvas.
According to the police, a report of the incident was received at around 7.35 am in the morning. The police, fire and rescue department, civil defense department and ambulance immediately proceeded to the location.
After failing to dissuade the Filipino from jumping off the ledge, two intrepid fire and rescue personnel secured themselves with ropes and went after the man in a bid to save him. The distraught man evaded the rescue attempt by sliding away and climbing off the ledge. But one of the fire and rescue personnel managed to grab his arms while another grabbed his dangling feet as he hovered above the fourth floor of the parking lot.
Jefry was subsequently rescued unharmed at 9.07 am and handed over to the police for further action.
Further investigation by the police revealed that Jefry had left his house in Jalan Sepanggar for the city area at around 2 am yesterday. He was believed to be experiencing some family problems and under great stress.
It was further revealed that Jefry had walked alone to the hotel, went up the fourth floor unnoticed and climbed onto the hotel’s ledge.
According to the police, Jefry could be charged under Section 309 of the Penal Code for attempted suicide, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, or a fine, or both.