'You're worth more than that, mate'- Sheffield man recalls moment he pulled would-be suicide jumper from bridge

Joel Lait was walking home from work on the afternoon of Thursday, January 30 when he was ‘horrified’ to see another young man clinging to the railings on the bridge over Park Square, ‘about to jump off’.

Even though passers-by were walking past ‘watching the whole thing unfold’, the 23-year-old said his ‘instincts kicked in’ and he managed to grab the would-be jumper, pulling him back over the railings while traffic roared below.

“He burst into tears and we stood there for about ten minutes hugging while I urged him to calm down,” said Joel.

“I honestly think if I’d been there ten minutes later, he’d have already jumped.

“I wanted to get him away from the bridge as soon as possible, so we walked to a nearby pub and I got him a drink. We arranged for his mum to come and meet us.

“While we were waiting, I got him talking. I said, you’re worth more than this mate. I told him there were better times ahead.”

The man who was pulled back over the railing is 26, and does not want to be named.

But he had this message for Star readers: “I don’t know what was going through my head at the time.

“I completely zoned out- the next thing I remember is being pulled back over the railings and Joel telling me I had my whole life ahead of me. He saved my life that day.

“I have a good support network, but sometimes that isn’t enough. I’ve struggled with depression for a long time and the hardest part has been talking about it.

“I’d advise anyone going through the same thing to find someone you trust and confide in them, even if you ring a helpline. I’m taking my first steps to getting better.”

The pair have since met up and will be keeping in contact.

“We plan to stay in touch,” said Joel. “And what I’d say to anyone who’s reading this is, if you have a friend who’s suffering, please pick up the phone and check in on them.

“It could mean the difference between life and death. There are gaps in the mental health care system, it needs major improvement. But sometimes in the meantime you do have to look after each other.”

Every life lost to suicide is a tragedy.

Whatever you're going through, you can call the Samaritans. They are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Call 116 123 for free. You can email [email protected] and someone will be in touch within 24 hours.

You can also pop into the Samaritan’s Sheffield branch at 272 Queen’s Road from 10am-8pm all week.

If you experience symptoms of depression for most of the day, every day for more than 2 weeks, you should seek help from a GP.