An off-duty nurse put her daughter’s school play on hold to prevent a woman from taking her own life on a bridge in Redditch, Midlands.
Sian O’Neill, a mother of two and a general nurse with emergency department experience, noticed the woman hanging precariously from the “wrong side of the railings” on July 15. She immediately enlisted her husband to drive her to the bridge, while he continued on to the school play with their other daughter.
“I asked the woman if I could approach, and she agreed,” Sian recalled. “She was visibly distressed, barely holding on with a couple of fingers. I gently told her that letting go would mean losing her life.”
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After several minutes, the woman allowed Sian to take her arm. When police arrived and began to approach, Sian sensed their presence heightened the woman’s anxiety and firmly asked the officers to pause. It wasn’t until the woman felt ready that she allowed the police to come closer and step back over the railing.
Though the tense conversation felt much longer, it lasted about thirty minutes. Following the rescue, Sian stayed with the woman in the back of a police car for another hour and a half as she was assessed and comforted.
At the Worcestershire Safeguarding Awards held in Worcester on November 18, Sian was recognized for her bravery and vigilance. Professor Keith Brown, chair of the Worcestershire Safeguarding Adults Board, praised her extraordinary actions taken while off duty.
Reflecting on the experience, Sian said, “I’m just relieved the woman got the help she needed and has since recovered fully. I’m not formally trained in mental health, but my nursing background helped me remain calm under pressure. I later watched a video of the school play, so I didn’t miss out entirely.”