All eyes on SMRT station manager who saved unconscious man in Yishun during peak hour
He did not hesitate to jump into action when a passenger's life was at stake.
SMRT station manager Leong Chee Hong performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the unconscious man.
On Nov 18, the 40-year-old was presented with a Stomp Goody Bag for his heroic deed.
The harrowing incident, which occurred at Yishun MRT station on Aug 18, 2024, remains fresh in Mr Leong's mind.
He recounted arriving at around 7.28am that day to find the man collapsed near an escalator, with another member of the public attempting CPR.
Mr Leong quickly took over, performing chest compressions and administering AED shocks until paramedics arrived.
Referring to the morning rush-hour crowd, Mr Leong said the toughest part was knowing that "so many passengers were watching, waiting to see if we could handle the situation correctly and save the passenger".
"We had to cordon off the area to give ourselves space to perform the AED safely," he told Stomp.
As one of the 27 recipients of this year's Transport Gold Awards, Mr Leong said he was "so surprised that my family were so proud of me when I shared the news with them".
He added that he was "very happy that all my team members and our hard work are being recognised".
The Transport Gold Awards, which is in its 26th run, is a collaborative effort by the Singapore Kindness Movement, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and all public transportation operators and associations in Singapore.
Mr Leong, who has been in role for four years, said it was his first time experiencing such a situation. However, the AED and CPR courses that SMRT provides for all staff helped to prepare him and came in handy.
This comes on top of his regular duties, where he helps commuters who are in need of assistance.
He shared: "In any situation or incident, we must not panic. We need to stay focused and know what we are doing, remembering that we are well-trained for every scenario."
