Call the police?? Worried about stranger

[prawncocktail2]

Not sure if I’m being overly cautious but wouldn’t want to risk not reporting it?

I regularly go over the bridge that runs over j29a of the m1. Very high bridge that looks over the motorway. Just gone past and there’s a young lad maybe 16/17 sat on the pavement with his legs up, elbows on his knees and covering his face with his hands. He looks like he’s stressed. He’s dressed all black with his head up. I just feel uneasy that he’s sat on the pavement like that so close to the bridge? What would you do?

I would have pulled in somewhere but I was very almost home anyway, I don’t have bluetooth in my car, I also had my young DD in car as we were on way back from a family thing, other wise I would have stopped

I did exactly the same yesterday, a young boy on his own walking over a river bridge in a very busy A road. I called 911 and left it with them.

I really do hope he’s ok, I know a lot of people were passing so maybe someone rang before me I don’t know but just hopefully he will get the help he needs.

There is a big difference between wasting police time with good intentions and prank calls. In this situation, I would have called them too.

@prawncocktail2 you don’t need to justify yourself here.
It’s difficult if driving & especially with no Bluetooth you can’t do hands free you needed to stop safely.
im very impressed that you knew so precisely where you were!

well done OP you never know, you might have saved someone's life. Sometimes you have to intervene

Well done OP you absolutely did the right thing here.

Poor thing. You are a lovely kind person, OP - and you did the right thing. Hope he is ok.

@DoIWantTo don't put it on to the OP. She didn't cause the boy's issues and has reported it.

My best friend lost his teenage son to suicide. I wish someone had been able to call that in.

Thank you. It's far better to call in and it not be needed, than not if it was.

I think you did the right thing. But I do sometimes sit on the pavement if I'm tired walking (I have asthma) people do look at me strangely

You did the right thing, OP.

It never fails to amaze me how many people witness a possible emergency, and their first thought is to log into Mumsnet, think up a user name, register it and then start a thread asking strangers if they should call the emergency services.

Just skip all that in the future and let them decide if your call warrants action or not.

They'll know best.

I’ve been in the police - call !!

Can’t see any incidents or delays reported at the junction within the last hour, so hopefully all is well.

I had a very similar situation on the M6 northbound yesterday evening. My daughter was in the car with me so she rang the police and they could pinpoint where I was from the call and hopefully work out where the young lad was.

The handler was really nice and said they'd rather have a wasted call out than people not calling and a tragic scenario.

I know that area pretty well, I have a friend who lives in Duckmanton and it is a really high bridge. Hopefully the police have traced him as a welfare check, it’s a really busy part of the motorway, you may have saved him.

I work in the same district as this one and if you called it in it would come to us. Someone would get sent to check on them. What 3 words is really helpful to find the exact location too!

Yes its very high isn't it, looking down and always very busy down there

As a DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) I always told people who were unsure to report things - either it built up a picture or it was of no consequence. Always better to alert someone in case. My lovely dd1 worked with Student Nightline and Samaritans and I know she'd say the same. She entirely fluffed a grad interview through tiredness because the previous night she'd talked a uni friend down from a bridge and caled the police on him. So proud of her.

Just a heads-up that the UK emergency number is 999. Calls to 911 will be forwarded to 999, because so many Brits think we're just like America. If you want the fastest available response, though, use the proper number: 999.

I was in your situation 3 years ago, driving over a bridge. Noticed a pedestrian on the opposite pavement just walking along but something didn’t sit quite right for me. By the time I looked in my rear view mirror I could see him climbing onto the wall of the bridge. By the time I swung my car over and jumped out he was standing on the wall. By the time I reached the wall and grabbed for him he’d jumped.

Please always trust your instincts.

That must have been heartbreaking String

Thank you. I forgot about the what 3 words. The bridge is just after a co op petrol station so I was able to tell them that and the road name. I will remember what 3 words in case I ever need to ring again for any reason

Oh that's heart breaking and an awful thing to witness too :(