What do you tell someone who is seconds away from ending his own life?
The St. Johns County Sheriffs Office released a moving video of their encounter with a distraught young man perched on the edge of a local bridge last month.
“I feel like jumping, man” he told the officers as they kept a distance from him on the pitch black span.
With his legs dangling over the ledge and staring down at the conclusion of his life, he told the officers that he was trying his best, but couldn’t seem to climb out of a financial hole.
“I work every day, man” he told them with his voice breaking. “I try to pay my bills.”
In a firm but reassuring tone, an officer reminded him that he still held a precious advantage — his youth.
“Your life is still young, bro,” he says. “People don’t excel until their late 30s sometimes.”
“You’re right, dude,” he responds. “But people don’t understand what people go through sometimes.”
The officer validates his burdens — but reminds him to appreciate his blessings, no matter how remote they may seem.
“There’s literally people that live under this bridge and probably wish they had half of what you have,” the officer responds, making his case as other deputies slowly inch closer towards him.
With the man now at arms length, several officers grab him and pull him away from his own end.
“We need you off that ledge,” they explain.
“Okay,” the shaken man states. “I understand that.”
“You ain’t in trouble, bro,” a deputy tells him as they take him to the ground. “But I wasn’t going to let you jump off that ledge.”
