Uber Driver, Troopers Stop Skyway Bridge Suicide Attempt

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A concerned Uber driver is getting the credit for helping the Florida Highway Patrol step in to save a man who allegedly attempted to commit suicide near the Skyway Bridge’s north fishing pier Monday night.

Chad Farley contacted law enforcement just after 8 p.m. Aug. 7, saying he had dropped off a passenger at the south rest area north of the bridge. Farley, an email from the patrol said, was concerned about the “the situation and safety of the passenger.”

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Troopers say the passenger, who is not being identified, left Farley’s vehicle and walked from the rest area to the north fishing pier. It was there troopers caught up with him and tried to talk to him.

The man, however, “fled to the water nearby,” the patrol’s email said. “Despite commands from the troopers to return, the subject continued into the water and submerged himself.”

The two troopers went into the water and pulled out the man, who had rendered himself unconscious by that time. Troopers began CPR while waiting for emergency medical crews to arrive. The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was last listed in stable condition, Sgt. Steve Gaskins reported.

See also: 3 Stabbed Before Man With Gun Stops Robber: Deputies

Further information about the incident is not being released at this time.

With an estimated 42,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

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Photo courtesy of the Florida Highway Patrol