Man searching for stranger who prevented his suicide

A London man is searching for a kind stranger who in 2008 talked him out of jumping off a bridge into London’s Thames River.

Jonny Benjamin was struggling to cope with being diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder when he attempted to commit suicide on Jan. 14, 2008.

A man saw him climb over the railings on the Waterloo Bridge and stopped him.

“He was very calm and said ‘Please don’t do this, I’ve been where you are and you can get better. Let’s have a coffee and we can talk about this,’” Benjamin told Metro. “He reminded me of what people do every day so the normality of it was really inviting.”

Benjamin said the stranger was the first person to give him hope after his diagnosis and prompted his recovery.

He since has become a mental health campaigner, and wants to thank the man who helped him six years ago.

“I was quite distressed at the time and don’t remember too much about him,” Benjamin said, beyond that the man was in his early 20s and on his way to work.

Benjamin has launched a campaign to try to find the man, producing a YouTube video with the charity Rethink Mental Illness to try to find someone who might know the man who saved his life.

“His act of kindness changed my outlook on life and I have thought about him ever since,” he said “I want to find this man so I can thank him for what he did. If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Contact Stephanie Grimes at sgrimes@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @steph_grimes