'Jump you b******'.

**crippen** · 17-06-2010, 02:30 PM

Man with agonising skin condition leapt to his death after motorists yelled 'jump'.UK.
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

A suicidal man who suffered from an agonising skin condition leapt to his death from a bridge after motorists shouted 'jump', an inquest heard.
Paul Cowling, 59, told officers he wanted to kill himself because of the horrendous skin condition which he claimed health services refused to treat.
For seven hours emergency services spoke to him as he clung to the edge of Avonmouth Bridge, Bristol, on bank holiday weekend last August.

For seven hours emergency services spoke to Mr Cowling as he clung to the edge of Avonmouth Bridge in Bristol
As a result of road closures traffic began to build up leading to 30-mile tailbacks.
PC John Clarke, of Avon and Somerset police, told the hearing of the taunts made by drivers.
'At some stage the northbound traffic was stopped. This was a great help in negotiating with Paul.
'But people started shouting 'jump you ****er' and 'jump you b******'.
'Tears were rolling down his face at that point. He had heard them and one of the shouts was re-enforced with a lorry horn sounding.'
Described as a 'gentle recluse', the inquest heard Mr Cowling told a police officer the skin condition left him unable to eat and the only things he could bear to put in his mouth were ice cubes.
Firefighter Derrick Hone tried to haul Paul to safety using his belt as leverage as a cup of tea was passed to him, but then watched in horror as the man hurled himself 100ft to his death.
Mr Hone said: 'I managed to yank him back but he wriggled to the edge of the stanchion.
'He got over the edge and something just went. I thought it was the belt but I had dislocated my little finger. His T-shirt caught on the stanchion and then he went.'
A lifeboat went to help the stricken man but he was pronounced dead in the water.
Paul, who was unemployed and lived with his brother David, in Bristol, had suffered from an undiagnosed skin condition for several months.
Security supervisor David said his brother, who he described as a 'gentle man', slept on a sofa because it was too painful for him to lie down.
He told yesterday's hearing at Flax Bourton coroner's court, Bristol: 'In recent years he suffered from bouts of depression but he had never threatened to kill himself.'
Paul even bared his 'red raw' chest to show the extent of the condition to those officers trying to save him on August 28 last year.
PC Piers Huggett said: 'He complained about his doctor, that he never gave him anything but aqueous cream.
'He had problems in his throat too. It was so bad he couldn't eat. Paul said: "They don't do anything - that's what's led me to this." '
He told the hearing that he spoke to Paul about Bristol Rovers, his cats and childhood memories to distract him.
PC Antony Henley, of Avon and Somerset police, said: 'I asked Paul why he wanted to kill himself and he said no one would listen about his neck, which was red and sore.
'He said he had trouble breathing and eating and he was reduced to eating ice cubes.'
After the hearing, David thanked all the men who had tried to save his brother and shook their hands.
He said: 'He was a thoughtful, helpful person and would be horrified to think he had caused a problem on the bridge.'
A verdict of suicide was recorded.

Read more: Man with agonising skin condition leapt to his death after motorists yelled 'jump' | Mail Online

**Mid** · 17-06-2010, 02:52 PM

hell in a hand basket with both feet firmly on the throttle

**HollyGoodhead** · 17-06-2010, 02:52 PM

That's really horrible.

**dirtydog** · 17-06-2010, 02:57 PM

Originally Posted by crippen

Firefighter Derrick Hone tried to haul Paul to safety using his belt as leverage as a cup of tea was passed to him, but then watched in horror as the man hurled himself 100ft to his death.

So Derrick grabbed a suicidal man and tried to drag him away from the edge,and thats when it went wrong, why is the blame being laid on people shouting "jump"?

**Gerbil** · 17-06-2010, 03:12 PM

^ But did he enjoy his tea?

**ItsRobsLife** · 17-06-2010, 03:17 PM

It was PG tips not Tetleys.. it was the final straw.

**Thetyim** · 17-06-2010, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by crippen

had trouble breathing and eating and he was reduced to eating ice cubes

So the stupid fireman tries to give him a hot cup of tea

**ferretface** · 17-06-2010, 04:33 PM

r i p poor bugger.

**CB79** · 17-06-2010, 04:49 PM

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

**Marmite the Dog** · 17-06-2010, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by crippen

'But people started shouting 'jump you ****er' and 'jump you b******'.

Wankers

**Moonraker** · 17-06-2010, 05:05 PM

**WhiteKnight** · 17-06-2010, 05:11 PM

Originally Posted by CB79

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

Easy to talk like that when you are not the one who is suicidal.

**bretby** · 17-06-2010, 05:13 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by crippen

'But people started shouting 'jump you ****er' and 'jump you b******'.

Wankers

of the highest order.

If these Fu**kers ever need help lets hope they get the same response.

**WhiteKnight** · 17-06-2010, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by bretby

If these Fu**kers ever need help lets hope they get the same response.

I second that, one of the worst things about people with regard to the sufferer mentioned is their ignorance and selfishness - only I count damn anybody else is the common mentality today.

**ossierob** · 17-06-2010, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by CB79

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

I can imagine many more selfish actions than suicide....

**Mid** · 17-06-2010, 05:29 PM

^

you may change your mind if it was to be someone very close to you

**Stinky** · 17-06-2010, 05:31 PM

An awful story, the people shouting at him are nothing more than scum.

**Stinky** · 17-06-2010, 05:34 PM

Originally Posted by CB79

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

That's quite a broad (and cold) statement to make. There are a whole host of reasons for a person committing suicide.
Maybe if you were ever close to it to you would understand.

**BugginOut** · 17-06-2010, 05:51 PM

Originally Posted by bretby

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by crippen

'But people started shouting 'jump you ****er' and 'jump you b******'.

Wankers

of the highest order.

If these Fu**kers ever need help lets hope they get the same response.

Let's not and we can help stop the continual cycle of ignorance that besets people.

**withnallstoke** · 17-06-2010, 06:15 PM

The UK suicide rate is about 0.1%, or 1 in a thousand.
( Suicide rates in different countries )
Assuming approximately 100 cars in each mile of the 30 mile tailback, thats 3,000 vehicles. Even if each vehicle held only one person, out of those maybe 3 were potentially suicidal. What if being stuck in a traffic jam sent them closer to the edge.
Selfish. I should say so.

**RamboII** · 17-06-2010, 07:11 PM

So, what you are saying it would be less selfish for him to start a car in a garage with the garage door closed? It sounds like the brother doesn't blame the deceased but the NHS.

**CB79** · 19-06-2010, 12:07 PM

Originally Posted by Sdigit

Originally Posted by CB79

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

That's quite a broad (and cold) statement to make. There are a whole host of reasons for a person committing suicide.
Maybe if you were ever close to it to you would understand.

I disagree.

The effect it has on family and friends, on the people who find the body or see the act, the things that these people have to live with for the rest of their lives, the unanswered questions, the nagging doubt that they could have done more, the effect it has on these people, having to grow up without a Mother/Father/Brother/Sister etc. makes it, for me, the most selfish act possible.

**Stinky** · 19-06-2010, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by CB79

Originally Posted by Sdigit

Originally Posted by CB79

Suicide is the most selfish act a person can commit.

That's quite a broad (and cold) statement to make. There are a whole host of reasons for a person committing suicide.
Maybe if you were ever close to it to you would understand.

I disagree.

The effect it has on family and friends, on the people who find the body or see the act, the things that these people have to live with for the rest of their lives, the unanswered questions, the nagging doubt that they could have done more, the effect it has on these people, having to grow up without a Mother/Father/Brother/Sister etc. makes it, for me, the most selfish act possible.

I understand full well the affect that a suicide has on the relatives, and yes sometimes it can be a selfish act, but it is by no means always as black and white as it may seem from the outside looking in.
Sometimes for a person there really is no other way, I'm thinking specifically about mental instability where a person is in so much mental anguish that they could hardly be considered sane and just as a person can be considered not mentally competent when they committed a murder the same applies to a person who commits suicide.

**Agent_Smith** · 19-06-2010, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by RamboII

So, what you are saying it would be less selfish for him to start a car in a garage with the garage door closed?

The fact that he chose to drop off a bridge in the middle of the day tells me that this was more a cry for help than anything else. If he just wanted to off himself he could have done that in private. Maybe the rude folks was the final straw.

**HollyGoodhead** · 19-06-2010, 02:54 PM

I know someone who's father died of a terminal illness and as a result the mother committed suicide. Personally I think that could be deemed selfish as this person has no other family, no friends and was at the time early 20s. Hell of a lot to deal with.

At the same time who knows what was going through the mother's mind. What seems logical to a suicidal person is usually not logical to other people.
Some people feel like it's better if they're 'out the way' as to them they are causing grief and misery to friends and family. So I agree with digit, not black and white.

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