Breaking: Jumper rescued from Adams Road bridge
When the man's mother arrived at the scene, he took off running towards the railing and jumped over.
TRAGEDY was narrowly averted when a man threatening to commit suicide by jumping off the Adams Road bridge into the N2 traffic below in Amanzimtoti today (July 15) was saved by Good Samaritans.
Also read: Suicide Awareness and Prevention
Kayla Gander said she and her husband, Wesley, were driving over the bridge after running some errands when she noticed a man on the bridge holding the railing and praying.
“I said to my husband, that man looks like he’s going to jump,” said Kayla.
She said Wesley stopped the car and approached the man, who then came running to him, allegedly telling him a story that he was raped.
“At that time, the man’s mother arrived at the scene, and he took off running towards the railing and jumped over. Luckily, my husband ran after him and managed to get a hold of him as he was going over,” said Kayla.
Coincidentally, Kayla said her brother-in-law, Johann Potgieter, was also driving over the bridge and, seeing what was unfolding, he jumped into action and ran down to the N2 and flagged down a truck. The truck stopped underneath the dangling man, and by that time, CCPO was at the scene assisting. Kayla said that with the truck underneath the man, the Good Samaritans let go, and the man’s fall was caught by the truck’s trailer.
“After that, we left, but I’m glad we were able to avert an accident had he fallen into the speeding traffic. Someone would have swerved into other cars,” she said.
CCPO’s Paul O’Neill said the man was taken off the truck and secured while his mother arranged for him to be taken to the hospital.
“According to the mother, her son was mentally unwell,” said O’Neill.
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