Tri-Service

Captain Sam Hairsine Saves 'Suicidal' Woman From 80ft Fall

Captain Sam Hairsine will be awarded with a medal for showing selfless bravery while saving the life of a 'suicidal' woman perched perilously over the railings of the Hulme Arch Bridge.

The heroic intervention meant the woman was saved from certain death and an 80-foot drop beneath.

The father of one drew on his military experience and ability to stay calm under pressure, managing to climb over the railings towards the woman and grabbed her arm to prevent her from falling.

This allowed passers-by to speak to the woman and talk her down from the situation. Sam was fortunately able to stop the woman from jumping and pulled her to safety.

Now working as the Director of Music in the Royal Marines, Captain Hairsine is due to receive a Police Chief's Citizen Commendation after Inspector Jon Middleton shared news of his courageous actions.

The woman was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital.

The conductor conceded he was afraid of heights but his instinct to help the woman took over:

He said: “I didn’t even think about it. She was stood there and it just seemed like the obvious thing to do.

“I was on the other side of the bridge and I saw her there. People just seemed to be walking by.

“I climbed over the railings and saw she was holding onto a bit of wire. She was still holding on with one hand so I took hold of her wrist. I knew that if I did anything too dramatic I could make it worse.

During the incident Greater Manchester Police reported that two teenagers standing below were encouraging the woman to take her own life, shouting "f***ing jump" several times, goading the 39-year-old and filming the scene on their phones.

Sam said: “There were people nearby just watching - I think that’s weird. The people who were filming it were just sick. I think they just had no concept that she was in a very dark place.”

“I was just chatting to her, I introduced myself. Then this other lady came over and was trying to reassure her.

A policeman and fireman were nearby to offer help.

“The policeman and a fireman gave me a hand and climbed over and that’s when I knew we’d got her back over.”

Sam was surprised to be nominated for the award, adding: “It’s really nice of him to even think of it. I just saw his post on Facebook and my wife said I should get in touch. I just thought it would be nice to say thanks to the people who helped. I really felt like we were part of a team.”