More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A dad-of-two says he didn't even think before intervening and stopping a young woman from taking her own life.
Earlier this month university student Jess Paramor, 20, from Maidstone, launched a Facebook appeal to find the two strangers who saved her last January and thank them.
As a result of the appeal, both men were tracked down and have now spoken to Miss Paramor, who thanked them and told them of her hopes for the future.
Tony Witton, 56, said he was thrilled to hear from Jess and described speaking to her on the phone as "emotional".
Remembering that night in January, Mr Witton, culture and creative economy manager at Kent County Council, described his next moves after spotting Jess at a bridge in Maidstone.
He said: "I didn't think about it really. I just went up to ask if she was okay. She said she wasn't so I said 'talk to me about that'"
He took Miss Paramor's hand and asked her to return to a safe spot and tell him about herself.
He then helped her return to safety and the police were called.
"I just held hands with her and put my hands around her," he remembered.
Mr Witton, who lives in Maidstone, recalled: "We were chatting about her friends and her interests.
"I had just read a book called Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. He's a long-term sufferer with depression and at one stage wanted to commit suicide.
"When I spoke to Jess a couple of days ago she said she'd actually read that book.
"The dad in me came out, I have got two daughters who are probably a similar age, I didn't have to think about it I just thought I could protect her and she had to be safe."
'I just thought I could protect her and she had to be safe...'
Afterwards Miss Paramor, who has borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, high functioning autism and ADHD, was assessed by a mental health professional at Priority House in Maidstone.
However the teenager was able to convince the professional she could be treated in the community rather than in hospital.
At this point, she still wanted to end her own life and four or five days later she returned to the same area.
That time a different man who was accompanied by a woman intervened.
She was then sectioned and stayed at Priority House for two weeks.
Gradually Miss Paramor has been improving, first with the help of private talking therapy and then NHS psychological talking therapy.
She also joined an art therapy class in Chatham and has been given a new combination of medication which is much more effective.
Now, she hopes to work in the drugs industry, improving psychiatric medication as she knows its side effects first hand.
At the start of this month, she launched the search on Facebook and within less then a week had spoken to both men on the phone.
On finding out that Jess wanted to get in touch, Mr Witton said: "I was a bit nervous but really pleased. I have often thought about her, hoping she was okay.
"The fact Jess is putting energy into developing more effective medicine at uni is just incredible.
"It was quite emotional, I don't suppose I had really thought about what I had done and she said to me thanks for saving my life and moreover for giving me a future."
For confidential support on an emotional issue, call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time.
If you want to talk to someone confidentially, click here.
