An act of tremendous altruism occurred in the city-state of Singapore late last week when dozens of strangers from different countries all came together in an attempt to help a man pinned beneath a tractor trailer.

Much of the incident was caught on video by someone in a nearby office building who later posted it on Facebook. The short clip attracted hundreds of thousands of views and an outpouring of support for those random unnamed pedestrians in Singapore.

Police are still investigating the driver of the truck to find out how the accident occurred, but it is believed that the victim, a 35-year-old South Korean businessman named Kim, was hit by the truck which then came to a halt on top of his leg.

At around 11:45am, Kim’s cries for help could be heard well around the intersection, drawing the attention of several passersby. Kim was lying face down in a pool of his own blood, and the driver could only look on in a state of shock. Suddenly two elderly men began trying to lift the enormous truck and called on everyone to come and help.

As we can see in 50-year-old Foo Suan Wang video, one by one people answered the call and came to assist.

In a surprisingly short time, enough people gathered so that the truck could be tilted just enough to pull Kim out. According to The Straits Times, a Filipino man and an Indian man both acted instantly and moved Kim to safety before the others’ strength failed them and they had to drop the truck.

Members of the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived on the scene moments later and rushed the man to hospital. After undergoing surgery for a leg fracture, Kim is believed to be recovering well.

The video drew praise across the comment board from those who watched.

“Touching!”
“Great job done by people of all walks of society without hesitation. This is how humans should behave.”
“There’s still hope after all.”
“Real heroes.”
“Excellent! the spirit of helping of Singapore’s citizens and foreigners when in need.”

It’s a shame that most of the people helping in Singapore are unknown. They should get a key to the city, or at least a free slice of pizza or something.

If you should happen to be in Singapore and see a person with that certain swagger of someone who recently lifted a truck to save someone’s life, why not offer them a congratulatory slice and keep spreading the love that this video has generated? Just don’t get confused with someone who has the swagger of a person who was given extra change back from a vending machine – they’re very similar swaggers.

Source: The Straits Times 1, 2, Facebook – Suan Wang, Coconuts Singapore (English)
Video and images: Facebook – Suan Wang