Depressed woman stopped from jumping off bridge
“After negotiations, she eventually aborted the attempt and was taken to Eugene Marais Hospital. During assessment, it was found she was suffering from depression.”
A woman, said to be suffering from depression, was stopped from committing suicide by jumping off the Charl Cilliers bridge onto the Mabopane freeway in Tshwane on Tuesday morning.
The woman was stopped by paramedics and members of the public.
Bestcare spokesperson Xander Loubser said the incident happened at about 10:20am.
“After negotiations, she eventually aborted the attempt and was taken to Eugene Marais Hospital. During assessment, it was found she was suffering from depression.”
Loubser thanked rehab nurses, the community policing forum and the public for their assistance in calming the woman down.
According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), there are 23 completed suicides every day in the country and a further 460 attempted suicides every 24 hours.
The SADAG suicide helpline receives more than 400 calls every day and deals with around 20 serious suicide calls on a daily basis that need crucial crisis intervention such as emergency services, calling to get a hospital bed, calling for police to get involved, phoning a loved one or even organising transport.
The hotline provides free telephonic counselling every day of the year for people who feel desperate, helpless or hopeless, and feel like committing suicide.
“We provide crisis intervention over the phone and referrals to resources around the country,” said Cassey Chambers, SADAG operations director.
The hotline receives calls from all over the country, many of which are from teens who feel suicidal and want to take their own life.
Chambers said the hotline plays a crucial role.
“If the suicide helpline had to close, where would the hundreds of people go for free help? Who would they call? Who would help someone who wanted to kill themselves?”
– Caxton News Service
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