The RailStaff Awards 2024

Nominations for Samaritans Lifesaver Award

Frankie Lynch

Said the following about Matt West Jim Wilson and Jake Chiverton:

“At the station in May 2018, Matt, Jim and Jake were carrying out revenue duties, during these duties a male in his mid 20’s approached Matt, Jake and Jim asking how he would get to Bradford. The three noticed that the male was sweating profusely but did not seem out of breath. While Jake looked up how to get to Bradford Matt and Jim asked if he felt ok and if he needed to have a seat at all. Upon this enquiry the male walked away from Matt and Jim. Matt and Jim agreed that something wasn’t quite right with the situation and agreed they would not pressure the male into speaking unless they felt it necessary. Jake then told the male how he could get to Bradford and the male said thank you and asked how he could get there without any money. Jake Matt and Jim felt something was alarmingly wrong with the situation and started to try and speak with the male asking him why he needed to get to Bradford, he said he had a family emergency. Not wanting to cause distress towards the male by telling him he couldn’t travel Matt asked if the male had any I.D on him so they could try and sort something out for him, the male replied saying everything he owned he had left at home. Due to Samaritan training Matt Jake and Jim knew that this was an indication of suicidal thought. Before the conversation could progress any further a train travelling towards them pulled in on Platform 1 and the male ran down towards the train and entered the train and sat down.

Jake and Matt followed the male on to the train trying to ask the passenger to leave the train while Jim was liaising with the conductor on board to make her aware of the situation, so the train could be held as they felt he was a danger to himself and possibly others. Jim joined Matt and Jake and was apologising to on board passengers and asked them to remain calm as passengers were also starting to look distressed due to what was being said. Two off Duty Police officers made themselves known very promptly and escorted the male off from the train as they initially thought it was a ticket issue. One of the officers came to one side with Jake and Jim to enquire what had happened while one officer stayed with Matt and the Male. Jake and Jim said there were a lot of signs pointing towards mental health issues and that Revenue duties were not the main concern. Hearing this, the male was taken into a waiting room on Platform one as it is a very open station. Jake called the BTP along with an ambulance while Jim called eyewitness. During this time Matt stayed with the officers as he kept attempting to leave the waiting room every time he heard a train approaching the station. One of the police officers assisting us said that they were happy to let the passenger leave if Matt Jake and Jim agreed, all three felt this would have been irresponsible and could lead to something far worse so declined and informed the off duty officer that the BTP and an ambulance had been called. Jake had been made aware that the approximate waiting time was an hour and a half.

Whilst waiting for the BTP and ambulance Matt struck up conversation asking what the male did for a living and found out that he was studying at university but had come back to visit his mother and brother who had problems. Matt commented that it must be hard to juggle his studies along with a difficult family life. As soon as Matt said this the male started to speak about his own struggles with depression and anxiety saying he was on medication but had stopped taking the medication without telling anyone saying he had no one who could help him. Jim gave Matt a card with the Samaritans details on to give to the male when it became appropriate in the conversation. Matt seemed to strike a great relationship, so Jake and Jim let Matt do the speaking but stayed for support. Matt asked if he had suffered since not taking his medication and he said very much so to the point that if he had been allowed to travel he believed that he would have taken his own life. He kept mentioning that he had been going to church and was being advised to be baptised, so he could be cleansed and start again. Jim asked if he thought taking his life was how he was going to achieve this, and he said it was.

He started talking about liking certain books and writing fan fiction, Jim Jake and Matt all said that they loved the same books and films and he started smiling and looking like common ground had been found. Matt told him that by the way he was speaking he sounded very creative and that he should write a book, Matt told him that if he ever did he wanted the first edition and this kind of talk relaxed the male to the point he opened up about further situations in his life. He said that he felt a lot of guilt in his life, there were people dying in his home country due to civil war and he wishes he had the courage to help the rebels fight against oppression in his home country, Matt said that maybe he could do it in a different way and his writing could bring hope to people that felt the same as he did and he seemed very receptive to this idea.

Matt Jake and Jim all kept the male talking and interested in what he was saying to distract him from the situation that he was in. While Jake and Jim alternated going to look for the ambulance outside of the station.

When the ambulance and BTP arrived, he was sectioned under the mental health act, while being escorted from the station he told Matt that he didn’t want to leave him as he was the first person within 14 years that showed any interest in his wellbeing and felt that he had a connection with him. Matt gave over the Samaritans card telling him that if he ever needed any help or even a chat that they would be able to help him and show him care.

After the male had left the station Matt Jake and Jim found the situation very personal to them as he was the same age and had the same interests as them, this really bought home how easy it could be for somebody just like them to feel worthless and they all empathised with him so deeply that it was upsetting for them, despite these feelings they went right back to assisting their colleagues with the revenue operation in a professional manner.

All three now see the Male on a regular basis and he is back to his normal self after receiving counselling.“