A young man saves a suicidal stranger simply by showing he cares.
IT WAS 9 P.M. on a dark, chilly night in November 2015. Desmond Powell, then 17, was walking home from a basketball game along an empty seven-lane road in Manchester, New Hampshire; he was looking forward to seeing his mom and grabbing dinner. As he approached the Granite Street Bridge, he noticed something peculiar—a person was sitting on the cement railing, legs dangling over the Merrimack River, about 100 feet below.
“At first I thought he was just hanging out. But as I got closer, I heard him muttering. Then I clearly heard ‘I’m just gonna jump,’” says Powell.
The stranger was slender, probably in his 20s, Powell thought. He wore dark clothing, and his red hair was topped by a baseball cap. “Hey, buddy, what are you doing?” Powell asked. He kept his distance, standing about six feet away so as not to spook the stranger.
“I’m gonna jump,” the guy said.
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 2017 edition of Reader's Digest US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
GOTCHA!
We asked for it: What's the best prank you ever pulled?
LOST, FOUND, HOMEWARD BOUND
A collection of heart-thumping, tail-wagging, zoomies-inducing pet reunion tales
The HEALTHY WELLNESS FROM THEHEALTHY.COM
A vaccine is finally on the way. In the meantime, here's how to protect yourself from ticks.
A Baker's Dozen Facts About Eggs
13 Health Fact About Eggs
A Cure for "Mean World Syndrome"
News from The World of Medicine
Words to Live By
What I've learned from reading obituaries
Mind-Bending Facts About Yoga
13 THINGS and Facts About Yoga
A Scrumptious Sidekick
Got a crush on crunch? Pickles pack a punch.
Two-Man Ironman
A father-and-son team turns disability into triumph
Friends Forever
From chance encounters to apparent destiny, readers share their BFF origin stories