A YOUNG man in his 20’s was saved from an attempted suicide from the 11th floor of a building in downtown Cebu City yesterday.
The 25-year-old laborer from Labangon at first told police he was having problems with his ex-girlfriend, but later said it a problem within his family that made him consider ending his life.
SPO1 Winston Ybañez of the Cebu City Police Office homicide section said that the man was in an internet cafe with his friends, who were surprised when he stood up and left.
He proceeded to the 11th floor of the Ludo and Luym Building, where he then stood by a window, balancing himself by grabbing the outside railings. He did this for several minutes, shifting from one dangerous position to another.
A few personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) 7 and the young man’s ex-girlfriend urged him to reconsider.
There were moments when a crowd of spectators shrieked in fear but the scene ended with cheering when the finally came down in a bucket lift of the BFP 7 fire truck.
is co-workers Teodolo Romayla and Chailyn Baldomar, were on the brink of tears, looking up as the man was brought back to safety.
According to Romayla, his friend had been complaining about his problems. He thought it was the guy’s recent break-up that weighed him down, but he suspected there was a deeper reason. “Ingon siya, ‘Labad na kaayo akong ulo’ so basin sa panimalay (He said his head hurt too much. I think he may have been having problems at home.” Baldomar recounted how her workmate has always been a bit of emotional but that he was also jolly and usually generous.
Aside from the BFP 7, teams from the Cebu City Police Office and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Council also went to the site to get the situation under control.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella arrived just in time to congratulate them for a job well done and said he was thankful that the 25-year-old came to his senses and came down safely.
In a phone interview, SPO1 Ybañez said that the would-be jumper was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center for observation.
According to the World Health Organization website, impulsive suicides can happen when a person faces a lot of stress. (Tessa Frances T. Aguilar, USJR Intern)