Having a loved one go missing can be a traumatising ordeal.
The problem isn’t just that they may be in danger or had an accident, but also the uncertainty of it all.
For days, months, or even years, you envision all sorts of scenarios in your head, always clinging to the hope that they’ll still return to you eventually.
Sadly, this isn’t always the case.
Went Missing on 28 Aug
Last Friday (27 Aug), 78-year-old Soh Eng Thong didn’t return home in the night as expected, worrying his family.
They called him numerous times, but only heard back from him the next morning at around 9am, when he finally picked up.
He said he was at SingPost’s taxi stand and needed a lift, adding that his legs were tired. He also said “Bo khui”, which is Hokkien for “not open”. The call was cut off abruptly.
But when his family arrived at the mall, he was nowhere to be found.
Concerned, they searched high and low for the elderly man in the mall, even checking all the toilet cubicles.
After discovering that the security staff had not seen him either, the family made a police report.
Received Leads on Facebook; Sent All Over the Country
In addition, Joyce Koo, Soh’s daughter-in-law, also shared his picture on Facebook, appealing to the public for any information over his whereabouts.
In the post, Koo said Soh had left his house at 8pm on 27 Aug to attend a funeral. However, Soh did not give any specifics about the funeral, such as where it was or who would be attending it.
Koo’s post was shared over 10,000 times, with friends and family providing what they believed to be leads.
This included ideas on where to look, and even pictures and videos of elderly men they thought looked like Soh.
Koo and her husband followed the leads, scouring shopping malls in Paya Lebar, a residential area at Haig Road, and other areas at Bedok, Joo Chiat, Toa Payoh, Bukit Ho Swee, and Chai Chee.
But they couldn’t find him anywhere.
Body Found in the Basement of SingPost Centre
The family eventually found out what happened to their beloved Ah Gu, but it wasn’t the news they wanted.
Police officers turned up at their home in Haig Road on Tuesday (31 Aug) and informed them that Soh’s body had been found in a stairwell of a basement carpark in SingPost Centre.
Soh’s son, David, was angered by the news, as the mall was the first place they searched.
The family, while grateful to those who tried to help, are waiting for answers from the authorities as to why Soh wasn’t found earlier.
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Featured Image: Facebook (SingPost Centre)