Yeah, life's a bummer for some ... but a ball for those of us whom know how to live it! Happy New Year! You all & ya'll !!
THOMSON --- McDuffie County sheriff's Deputy Henry Campbell saw the burgundy car stopped on the interstate overpass Wednesday morning. He saw the young woman jump out of the car and run toward the edge. And as he waited for other emergency personnel to arrive, he held her as she kicked and screamed and begged him to let her go.
"I don't think of myself as a hero," said Deputy Campbell, who has worked for the sheriff's department since 1994. "I was just a police officer doing his job. I'm glad it ended the way it did."
Deputy Campbell was the first officer to arrive at Exit 172 of Interstate 20, where a 21-year-old Thomson woman was threatening to commit suicide by jumping off the overpass, Deputy Sgt. Mike Hobbs said.
Deputies said the woman had left her 1-year-old son in her Ford Escort LX.
Deputy Campbell said he knew he had to act quickly when he saw the woman run toward the side of the overpass.
"I snatched my necktie off, jumped out of the car and ran to help her," the deputy said. "Just as she was about to approach the side, she placed both hands on top of the bridge and lunged upwards, as if she was about to leap off."
Deputy Campbell said he grabbed the woman in an attempt to keep her from falling about 30 feet into heavy traffic below.
"She kept saying over and over, 'Just let me go,' " he said.
The sheriff's department, Thomson Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Georgia Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division also responded to the call.
The woman was taken to McDuffie Regional Medical Center in Thomson, where she was undergoing a mental evaluation, authorities said.
The child was reported to be with family members.
Morris News Service writer Jason B. Smith contributed to this article.
Comments
Yeah, life's a bummer for some ... but a ball for those of us whom know how to live it! Happy New Year! You all & ya'll !!
Suicide is a permanant solution to a temporary problem and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. Young lady some day you will look back and be greatful God put that officer in that place at that time. My own Father was and so was I. He's with you so you are never alone and the next time you look into your child's eyes you will see everything worth living for.
Do you think you could come up with one more cliche??????
Let's hope so. Let's keep her in our prayers and our officers who risk their lives to protect us when we are vulnerable.
Good job, buddy.
Another fine policeman.
To the young woman: God's love is impartial. He loves you as much as anyone. Tough times come to us all; they pass and things get better. Always.
Great job Deputy Campbell...One day she will thank you...Praise God you were there...God held you and you held her refusing to let her go...
The definition of hero is "one who shows great courage". Deputy Campbell risked his life by catching this woman as she was jumping off the bridge. Once again, we are blessed to have people of his character serving our communities.
No doubt she will get excellent mental health services here in Georgia, especially being so close to so many great hospitals.
Evidently none of you have ever felt the desperation.
good job Henry.
Why would you assume that peonynut?
To be such a young person and thinking that this was her only choice is so heart breaking. Hopefully those who care for and love her will now rally around her and show her that she is not alone. One more cliche, " There but for the grace of GOD goes I".
She will thank God every day for that officer. He was at the right place at the right time for a reason. God has a plan for this young lady.
I know I'm gonna get blasted for this....But, this makes me mad! Suicide is a coward's way out. Yes, you must be very depressed and desperate and see no other way, which is very sad. A very selfish act to leave that 1 yo motherless. I guess she was so desperate that she did not even think of how it would affect her child for the rest of his life were she successful. Thankfully, she will get some help!! My prayers are with her!
SIGHER suicide is a coward's way out but for some, at the time, to live is not an option...Been there and tried for more years than I care to remember...In fact one attempt left me without a memory of the next few days...The only thing I can possibly pass on to someone is to hang on and find Jesus Christ...Life might be rough but it is an easier road if the emptiness is filled with Him...I thank God for the Officer who refused to let go even when he could have very easily gone over with her...I believe as you SIGHER God has a plan for her...
Way to go Henry! May God bless you and the young lady!
christian, I am sorry you went through that! And glad you're still with us! Yes, Faith is very strong!
Absolutely SIGHER...Am here and stronger in faith and spirit...God left me for a purpose...Haven't figured it out yet but wouldn't miss the ride for all the world...
I hope she receives the help that she needs to cope with her depression. To commit suicide is a selfish act. She only thought of herself and did not care as much about the love ones who would hurt forever. Whatever is causing the severe hurt and pain need to be dealt with. First you have to love yourself, your life can be better if you manage it right. Don't let love kill you. You were happy once and can be just as happy again. Life is good.
Great job Deptuy Henry. I Thank God for people like you. She probably thought: Oh the New Year and I cannot handle it when if fact this may make her a stonger person. She may have had an argument or something to that effect and now she can tell it all to someone who is trained to help her. May God Bless her and Thank God that child has a mother to raise him. May her parents and family menbers be there for her. I am in a family who has gone through ordeals of that nature and becasue a father loved his daughter so much, she lives a much better life now and is very responsible for her actions. Happy New Year to this young lady and GOD BLESS all of you. It is so nice to read a few Christian remarks instead of cutting remarks everyday. Thank you.
Augusta/Heph homeowner, I loved what you said "because a father loved his daughter so much". It is so true, fathers can be very nuturing.
Some will thing it was just lucky the officer was there. I believe God made sure Deputy Campbell was driving by at just that moment. She needed help for her mental state and no one had pparently listened ... she saw one way out ... and God said NOT YET! Thanks Henry for paying attention to what was going on around you. You are a HERO!
Unless a relative (PLEASE, NOT DFCS) takes care of that child, the next time we visit this woman it will be a murder-suicide story.
Sure, it's a great thing her life was saved by the deputy, but suicide is addictive. In other words, they keep trying and eventually they succeed. With a one year old child, surely some "voice" will soon tell her to kill the child, the herself. If that happens, then saving her life today would be the owrst that could have happened.
Happy new year!
I cannot imagine how tortured a person must be to attempt, or even threaten, such an act. May she find peace within herself and come to realize that life is a precious commodity.
Nobody chooses to have severe clinical depression or suicidal impulses. It is an illness and often is genetically based. To call her a coward is similar to calling a diabetic a coward and equally offensive. She wasn't thinking rationally and she couldn't control it. Please don't heap further abuse on her, she is desperately ill and needs help and compassion and treatment. And to preach religion at her- this has nothing to do with religion. If you want to bring religion into it, then pray that the doctors will be able to help her.
Let them jump if they are in that mental state, and you pull them back they may wind up hurting or killing some inocent family member or other person.
This woman definitely should have mandatory sterilization.
For your information, turncoat, suicide is NOT an addiction; many who have made as many as three attempts do not return to complete the act. Suicide is not solely a product of depression, but can be symptomatic of other agendas in ones life. It is not a cowards way out, either, for those of you who seem to believe that. There are many many reasons why someone would want to end their lives and at the time of the attempt, it makes perfect sense to the victim. Furthermore, it is unlikely that this individual will take the life of another; most who attempt suicide do not do so. As for "mandatory sterilization" sgtmidtown, you appear to believe that is the solution for all our social ills; will you please advance to the front of the line so you can be first for sterilization? Suicide has many faces; it could be yours.
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