It started as a normal day for Breakthru Beverage delivery men Jason Gabel and Kwame Anderson, but as they made their rounds in St. Paul, Minnesota last week, they spotted a man hanging onto the outside of a fence on an interstate overpass. When they realized the man was suicidal, they called 911 and stopped to talk to him.
Anderson says he asked the man what he was doing and explained that if he was thinking about jumping, he didn’t have to. Anderson and Gabel talked to the man for about an hour, building a rapport, even convincing officers to allow them to continue talking to the man. They even made the offer to share a beer from their delivery truck. Anderson asked him, “If you come down from there, do you want to get a drink with me and talk about what’s going on?”
The guy said yes, Anderson got a 12-pack of Coors Light from the truck and told him if he came down from the ledge, he could have the whole thing. The tactic worked, the man came down safely, and paramedics were there to take him to the hospital for an evaluation. So these delivery guys saved his life and the best part? They drove a route they don’t usually go, so they just happened to be in the right place at the right time to help.
Source: Newsweek