A hero security guard who stopped a woman jumping from the roof of a car park has saved a second person’s life.
Paul Arnison and two of his colleagues have been hailed heroes after their actions stopped a man from hanging himself at the Hillstreet Shopping Centre car park.
The man, in his 40s, had been monitored by security supervisor, Brooke Halliwell, 34, in the control room on Wednesday afternoon after being spotted acting “strangely” in the shopping centre mall by security officer, Neil Murray, 37.
After making his way to the car park and climbing on to the railings he was grabbed by Paul “in the nick of time”.
Neil said: “I was on the mall and I saw the man walking towards me. I felt his mannerisms were not right and he had a distressed look on his face.
“I passed his description on to control.”
Brooke continued: “Within a couple of minutes of Neil pointing him out, we saw him go straight up the stairs to the first level car park.”
Security watched the man walk past the car park paying machines and go upstairs. They then followed him on the cameras and saw him walk up to the railings.
Brooke added: “Paul went straight up and we rang the police.”
Paul, 54, who was just returning from his lunch break when the incident was unfolding, saw what was happening on the cameras, grabbed a radio and ran to the car park.
By the time Paul got to the man, he was already on the other side of the railings.
At first the man declined Paul’s help but Paul insisted, pulling the man back over the railings.
Paul said: “I had a talk to him and put my arm around him.”
It was at the same car park that Paul talked a woman to safety in February last year.
Paul struck up a conversation with the woman before pulling her away from the edge - and the 50 metre drop below.
The customer care worker, who is employed by MITIE, was recognised by Cleveland Police with a Brave Citizen award at a ceremony at their Ladgate Lane headquarters.
And in December he won the Gazette’s Community Champion Outstanding Act of Bravery award after being nominated by Hillstreet Shopping Centre manager, Peter Drabble.
Peter said: “All of our guys have got to be extremely vigilant, looking for things that look out of the ordinary.
“Paul was just in the nick of time and managed to grab the man.”
Following the incident, Paul said: “My adrenaline was flowing at the time but afterwards it hit me.
“There were flashbacks to the other one that I was involved in.
“It is just something that kicks in and it is human nature to do something.”
Brooke added: “It is what we are trained to do. We have done our jobs properly. It is team work.”
A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police confirmed they were called to the centre where the man appeared “calm and talking to the security guards.”
“He was offered assistance and taken home,” she added.
Anyone who needs support can contact the Samaritans on 0845 790 9090 or visit www.samaritans.org .
No comments:
Post a Comment