Hero OAP helped save a life
A PENSIONER has described how he helped talk a suicidal man down from a Glasgow bridge.
The 66-year-old said his “adrenalin was pumping” as he tried to reassure the man using skills he had learned on a suicide prevention course.
He said: “All I was thinking, was I hope I can talk this guy round before he jumps.”
A GRANDFATHER has described the moment adrenalin kicked in and he helped talk a man down from a Glasgow bridge.
The 66-year-old, named only as Willie, spotted the stranger as he was on his way home from work.
He approached the man and started talking to him, using skills he had learned on suicide prevention training, while other people called 999.
Willie, from the East End of Glasgow, shared his story ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day next Monday, to promote the effectiveness of the training he received.
Willie said: “My adrenaline was pumping when I first saw him, I’d never seen anything like it, except on TV, but my Suicide Prevention Training kicked in. I remembered you should talk to someone in that situation. I told him my name and tried to get him to tell me his.
“I didn’t get too close, because I didn’t want to panic him, but I could see he was clutching a half bottle of wine and was clearly very drunk.”
The man was reluctant to speak at first, swore at Willie and told him to go away.
However, Willie, who volunteers with DrinkWise, an alcohol awareness charity, decided he had to persevere and persuade him not to jump.
He added: “All I was thinking, was I hope I can talk this guy round before he jumps. I said it didn’t have to be like this and tried to persuade him to come back over on to the bridge where it was safe. I told him, if he came back over, I’d get a bottle and we could have a drink together and talk. I wanted to divert his attention from what he was about to do.”
After he gained the man’s
trust he allowed himself to be pulled to safety by Willie and another man on the bridge as a Fire and Rescue boat waited below on the river.
Willie said: “I never saw him again, but I hope he’s OK.
“I think if I hadn’t had the suicide prevention training, I’d have reacted differently. I might not have intervened, because I was scared I’d make matters worse. I might think he’d jump because of
something I’d said and it would all be my fault.
Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership leads the Choose Life programme to help prevent deaths by suicide including SuicideTALK training.
Around 10,000 people in Glasgow have received the training since it was introduced in 2002
Glasgow taxi drivers are about to become the latest group to receive the training.
Front-line council and NHS staff, retail, food bank and construction workers are among those trained to spot the signs of depression and anxiety and to identify people who may be at risk of suicide.
Pauline Toner, Choose Life Coordinator, said: “Training equips people with techniques to intervene in situations while the emergency services are on route. Willie’s amazing story proves how vital that can be.”
‘‘ All I was thinking, was I hope I can talk this guy round before he jumps