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“Will's quick thinking and attentiveness are the reasons why I am nominating him for the Samaritans Lifesaver Award. Without Will's intervention, a person may have taken his own life on the railway.
When Will and his colleague Paul spotted a middle-aged man looking over a railway bridge and down onto the tracks in Kent, they made the decision to approach and speak to him. In just the time it took to park, the man had climbed onto the boundary wall. Will and Paul took immediate action to prevent the man from jumping down onto the tracks.
They gave the gentleman their attention and conversed with him for more than 40 minutes while awaiting help, allowing him to express his sorrows.
Will said the Samaritans Managing Suicidal Contact training had helped him in the situation: "The course helped me to pay extra attention to people's behaviour in the railway environment and to approach those in need."
If Will and Paul hadn't noticed the man on the bridge or decided to take the time to stop and talk to him, the outcome could have been very different.
Both Will and Paul acted in a professional and calm manner, dealing with an emotionally - and physically - difficult situation. They are a credit to their employers and to Network Rail whom they represent.“
““John Sheehy the General Manager at the Transport Benevolent Fund CIO is pleased the Fund is able to sponsor the Station Staff Award again this year. John said Station staff are an integral part of the railway and being the first port of contact, they play a very important role in helping customers and making their experience on the railway a pleasant one. They often have to deal with difficult situations that require compassion and courage when helping vulnerable people who enter the railway. They simply are a credit to the railway industry.”
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