Source: Facebook
My boyfriend said: “Hold on a second, I need to go save this kid.”
Fred walked a few steps away from me over to a young man, probably in his early twenties.
He was standing on the water-side of the guardrail with a sadness in his eyes that Fred later said to me were pleading for help.
Without hesitating, Fred blatantly asked him what he was doing on that side of the railing and if he was planning to jump.
It’s not a very long distance to the water at that spot, but the kid answered and said that yes, he was planning to jump because he could not swim and he wanted to drown.
Several moments passed before Fred was able to convince him to step back over the railing, where we both stood and spoke with the man.
We told him that there is hope and talked with him for several more minutes before parting ways.
The park had a lot of people this afternoon and so many of them were walking and biking right past the young man, probably without even noticing him or seeing what Fred saw.
Fred works as an RN in the Bay Area, specializing in chemotherapy infusion.
He is truly someone who helps save lives every day, so it came as no surprise to me that his compassionate heart led him to help yet another stranger.
It was very emotional and is stilling affecting us both, even now, hours later as we sit at home in Concord.
It’s more than sad to see a person first-hand who is so close to giving up on life, but this was a wonderful reminder to never hesitate to take a few minutes to speak with someone or reach out to help a stranger.
You never know what someone else is going through or how a little gesture may make a huge impact.
I’m so proud of Fred, and I hope that the man felt loved and encouraged by his actions and our words.
Asking for help can be hard, but there is hope, and there is help, and there are people who sincerely and selflessly care about helping others.
