A suicidal man was preparing to jump off a bridge when he was talked down by his two-year-old son.
Rao Ni was perched on the ledge and ready to take the fatal leap when he heard the toddler scream, ‘Dad, come back, don’t jump.’
The child’s desperate plea brought to an end hours of tense negotiations and convinced the troubled 39-year-old to climb back to safety and give life another shot.
The construction worker had clambered onto the bridge after he was left unable to pay the rent on the family home in Lingao County, southern China’s Hainan Province.
He was spotted balanced on the edge by a member of the public who raised the alarm, according to The People’s Daily Online.
Troubled Mr Ni was recognised by a co-worker as crowds began to swell around the crossing.
With trained negotiators struggling to get through to the man, his wife and son were brought to the scene by police in a last ditch attempt to convince him not to end it all.
His wife said: “Don’t do stupid things husband. Our child is so young. The whole family rely on you.”
But it was his son’s cries of “Dad, Come back, don’t jump,” that talked him down from the suicide attempt.
After allowing himself to be hauled to safety Mr Ni enveloped his son in his arms.
Police spokesman Guo Tsou said: “It is difficult to know what the boy could make out of what was happening, but he must’ve heard his mother and father talking for hours and realised both were upset, and he was also in tears.
“At the end when he started calling his dad, it seemed to get through to him and then the two fell into each other’s arms.”
Mr Ni arrived in China’s Hainan Province 10 years ago and secured work in the construction industry.
After rising to the rank of foreman he had more than 40 migrants working under him at a local site when things went wrong.
Trusting Mr Ni had not signed a contract for his employment or that of his men and when the project was scrapped he was left unable to pay his ways or that of his employees.
In totally he was owned 400,000 yuan.
After a year of rows with the property developer the father-of-one felt he had no where else to turn and decided to end his life.
Police have now promised to look into the matter for Mr Ni, but said without a written contract it would be hard to help Mr Ni.
- From Daily Mail
