A second was all it took for Jesse Harrison to bolt, in jandals, towards the Auckland Harbour Bridge railing during peak rush hour.
A second was all it took for Jesse Harrison to sprint, in jandals, towards the railing of the Auckland Harbour Bridge during rush hour.
The reason: A man who left his vehicle running on the motorway was attempting to climb over the railing, intent on jumping off at the highest point, 43.3m, into the harbour.
Harrison, a 23-year-old gym instructor, told the Weekend Herald how a mundane day took an astonishing turn.
He had been at work in the city followed by a mixed martial arts class on the North Shore at 6pm. It was on his way home about 7.30pm that he ran into a traffic jam on the bridge, which he assumed was a crash.
But as he got closer to the centre of the bridge he noticed a car blocking the left-most lane.
"I'm in jandals so I'm trying to get there as fast as I can as he makes his way over the edge."
The two exchanged words, Harrison urged him to consider his loved ones and all of the people he would leave behind.
The man said he had no family but Harrison assured him there was always something to live for.
By this point, other cars had begun arriving and two men, one a New Zealander, another English, came to his aid and grabbed the man.
Police confirmed they began receiving reports about concern for a person's wellbeing about 7.30pm.
Despite Harrison being an amateur MMA fighter with 13 bouts, 10 of them wins, under his belt the battle to keep the man from reaching the bridge edge was immense.
Jesse Harrison clung on desperately to a man on the harbour bridge until police arrived. Photo / Leon Menzies
If only two people were there to help it may have been a different story.
"I'm grateful those guys were there too because I wouldn't be able to pull him back myself."
The trio deliberated and decided they needed to make a move in order to safely remove the man from the railing.
"We're holding him there for quite a while, we're talking like 10 minutes, trying to convince him to come back."
"If there's anything to believe in it's that there's always someone to help, no matter what circumstance you're in."
Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson said anyone who was feeling suicidal should remember they were not alone.
"I've been where you are, and I found a way through. Thousands of other New Zealanders feel suicidal every year and they recover and live great lives. But, right now, you need some help – and you deserve it."
Anyone in crisis could:
• Contact their local mental health crisis team or go to their local ED. • Reach out to someone you know and tell them how you're feeling. If they don't respond well, don't lose hope. Try someone else. • Try not to be alone – go to a friend/whanau member's house, ask someone to come around or find somewhere to be around people in public like a shopping centre or a library. • Call or text a helpline like 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor. • Make a safety plan. • Distract yourself – watch a video, call a friend, exercise, listen to music.
If you are worried that someone is thinking of taking their own life, contact them to ask how they're going. Ask them directly if they are thinking of killing them self. If they are, they need urgent help.
