Originally published 2020-05-21.
On 21 September 2017, three schoolboys walking home in Hertfordshire, England, came across a young man in deep distress on a bridge above a busy road. Devonte Cafferkey, 13, Sammy Farah, 14, and Shawn Young, 12, talked to him, held on to him when he tried to go over the edge, and called for help. Two adult passers-by then joined them and kept him safe until emergency services arrived. The man was taken to hospital, and all five were later honoured by the Royal Humane Society.
It is a story about courage, but also about something simpler that anyone can learn from: noticing someone who is struggling and refusing to walk past.
If you are struggling right now, you can call Samaritans free on 116 123 in the UK and Ireland, or call or text 988 in the US. If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 999 or 911.
What happened on the bridge
The three friends attended St Mary’s, a high school in Cheshunt, and the bridge was in nearby Waltham Cross. According to US and UK reports at the time, they were the first people to reach the man, who was sitting on the edge of the bridge, crying.
Their first instinct was to talk. Devonte later described telling the man that he had family and that it was not worth it. When the man suddenly moved to go over, Devonte and Sammy grabbed hold of him while Shawn ran and phoned for help. Shawn’s mother later said the man was losing consciousness and growing heavier as the boys held on, a detail she said she learned only months afterwards.
Some reports spell the boys’ names differently, as Sami Farah and Shaun Young, and one gives Devonte’s surname as Cafferkey-Wilson; the accounts of what they did are consistent.
The adults who stepped in, and the recognition that followed
As the boys tired, two passers-by took over. Joanne Stammers heard their calls and held the man until police and paramedics arrived, describing it as holding on “for what feels like forever”. Another man, James Higlett, also helped bring him to safety.
In the weeks after, the boys and their families told their story on ITV’s This Morning, joined by mental health campaigner Jonny Benjamin, whose own life was saved by a stranger when he was in crisis. Police praised the boys, and in 2018 the Royal Humane Society, a charity founded in 1774 to recognise people who save lives, awarded them certificates of commendation. The Society’s secretary, Andrew Chapman, called them “the right people in the right place at the right time.” The boys were reportedly also recognised at a local youth awards event in Broxbourne.
Their families were proud, and honest about the cost. Devonte’s mother said he was shaken by the experience and needed time before he felt ready to return to school. That matters: helping in a crisis can be frightening, and people who do it, especially young people, may need support of their own afterwards.
Why talking to someone in crisis matters
The boys did not have training. What they had was the willingness to stop, stay and speak. That reflects advice from mental health organisations: a person in crisis often feels completely alone, and a few words of genuine concern can interrupt that feeling long enough for help to arrive.
Two common myths get in the way of people reaching out:
- “Asking about suicide puts the idea in someone’s head.” It does not. The US National Institute of Mental Health lists asking directly as the first step in helping someone, because it opens the door to an honest conversation.
- “People who talk about it won’t act on it.” Many people who die by suicide have spoken about their feelings beforehand. Any mention of wanting to die deserves to be taken seriously.
It is also important to be clear about limits. Children should never be expected to manage a crisis alone or to put themselves at physical risk. In this case, the most important thing the boys did may have been calling for help. The right move for a young person who sees someone in danger is to get an adult and phone emergency services straight away.
Suicide in the UK: the bigger picture
The incident happened against a worrying background. The Office for National Statistics recorded 6,507 suicides registered in the UK in 2018, about three-quarters of them men. The age-standardised rate was 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people, and people aged 45 to 49 had the highest rate.
The picture has not improved much since. In its latest bulletin, released in October 2026, the ONS reported 6,162 suicides registered in England and Wales in 2025, a rate of 11.3 per 100,000. The male rate, 17.5 per 100,000, was still more than three times the female rate, and the highest rate for men was now among those aged 50 to 54.
The UK is not alone. In the United States, the age-adjusted suicide rate rose 24% between 1999 and 2014, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Researchers point to many contributing factors, including mental illness, debt and job loss, isolation, alcohol and drug use, and difficulty getting timely care. Middle-aged men, who are often less likely to seek help, remain a particular concern.
How to help someone you are worried about
You do not need to be an expert to make a difference. The NIMH suggests five steps:
- Ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide.
- Be there: listen without judging, and let them talk.
- Help keep them safe by reducing access to things or places that could be used to harm themselves.
- Help them connect with a crisis line, a trusted person, their doctor or a mental health professional.
- Follow up in the days and weeks afterwards. The period after a crisis can be especially fragile.
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, stay with them if it is safe to do so and call emergency services. For anything less urgent, encourage them to talk to a doctor, and offer to help make the appointment.
Stories like this one, and like the trucks that lined up under a bridge to protect a man in crisis, show that ordinary people can buy precious time. What happens next depends on care and connection over the long term.
Where to find support
- UK and Ireland: Samaritans, free on 116 123, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. A Welsh-language line is available on 0808 164 0123.
- United States: call or text 988 for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
- Emergencies: call 999 in the UK or 911 in the US.
- Ongoing help: talk to a doctor, who can arrange further support.
Sources: The Root; Aleteia (April 2018); Irish Post (March 2018); Atlanta Black Star (October 2017); ITV This Morning; ONS, Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations; ONS, Suicides in England and Wales, latest bulletin; NCHS Data Brief 241; NIMH: 5 action steps; Samaritans.
COMMENTS