Lifesaver who wouldn’t let tragedy strike twice
WHEN one of Adrian Bayne’s friends took his own life, he decided it was time to raise his awareness of the mental health issues that drive people towards suicide.
Three years on from the tragedy, the train driver was able to use his newfound knowledge to prevent a young man from killing himself at a railway station.
Mr Bayne, 43, approached the distressed youngster at Edinburgh Waverley station after spotting tell-tale signs that he might want to take his own life.
He persuaded the young man to hand over his mobile phone so he could call his family – and found a number of farewell messages intended for loved ones.
The Virgin Trains driver had taken a Samaritans intervention training course after one of his friends took his own life three years previously.
It was the first time Mr Bayne had used his training. The incident, which happened during the summer, earned him a place among finalists for the Samaritans Life Saver Award at the Railstaff Awards in Coventry last week.
Mr Baynes, of Prestonpans, East Lothian, said: ‘The guy was sitting in an area of the station that people normally wouldn’t be sitting, in a distressed manner, with his phone in his hand. He said his mum was supposed to be picking him up in Berwick, but he was in Edinburgh at 10.40 at night.
‘At that time there’s always drunk people and it’s about telling the difference between the drunks and people in trouble, and this guy was obviously in trouble.’
Mr Bayne offered to phone his mother and saw messages on his mobile from people concerned.
He added: ‘The messages he had sent were basically saying goodbye, without going into too much detail he was talking about ending his life.
‘So I phoned British Transport Police and they sat with him for 20 minutes. Part of the training is that once you’ve passed them on to the police, you distance yourself, but I know he was saved.
‘I phoned his mum and she was in tears but I told her he was safe. I had mixed feelings.
‘It’s obviously emotional at the start, especially because of what happened with my friend. But afterwards I was feeling good because I managed to help save him.’
Mr Bayne wants to promote the importance of suicide awareness, not only because it is close to his heart but also because ‘train drivers are at the forefront of suicides and there’s not enough understanding of the effect it can have’.