Unofficial lifeguard saving lives at Kingston waterfront

Although he is not formally trained in giving first aid assistance, Kimmarlie Dwyer, 26, has given CPR and saved several persons who attempted suicide by the waterfront in downtown Kingston.

A fisherman by profession, the Fletcher's Land, Kingston resident said the waterfront is a haven for persons suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts.

"Regular ting when people want to do them act and end them life a down here suh dem go. Sometimes yuh can see the pain in dem eyes. We a hero down here so but things like this nuh make news. In fact no one that mi ever save ever come back and tell mi thanks and is not like mi want anything from dem. Mi would just want to know say dem okay and whatever demon dem did a fight gone left dem," he said.

"Is like mi get use to it, so every time mi see a man or a woman just come close or sit on a bench by themselves mi always start pay close attention to them," he added.

But saving persons can be a difficult task, and Dwyer told THE WEEKEND STAR that he and another good Samaritan almost died while trying to save a man.

"Mi see a man and him just look weird and mi pass him sit on a bench alone. By the time mi reach down the road mi hear say somebody jump off, so mi run back in the direction. When mi take a stock, a di same man jump off and a man go in a try save him and is like a di two a dem a drown now," he said. "Mi end up give a man mi phone and jump off, straight inna mi clothes mi jump off. When mi go down deh, di man still nah let go the man who a try save him and mi have to start squeeze him neck fi him let him go. Long and short of it is that we eventually manage to get di two a dem out the water."

Faith Thomas and her husband Dr Donovan Thomas are founders of Choose Life International, an organisation that offers suicide prevention help and grief counselling. She told THE WEEKEND STAR that there are a number of factors that could cause a person to plummet from being happy and normal to having suicidal thoughts.

"Many times when persons are becoming suicidal is when there is something overwhelming them and they are not able at that point to apply coping resources. Support is a big deal and if they don't feel like they have support, that could help to push them over the edge. There are times when they just want to escape and get rid of that inner pain and suffering, and so they come to a place where they start to believe that they will get peace by ending their lives," she said.

"They will go down to the waterfront and they know they cannot swim and they will jump in as they will think it is a better way than hanging themselves. Sometimes they will go there and they will hear voices in their heads telling them to jump. There was this guy who went to the waterfront to kill himself and it was like God spoke to him and he found us and we were able to intervene," she added.

"There should probably be a mental health ad around the waterfront area that says call a help hotline or things like that, that when all of those thoughts are in their minds. Perhaps they can see that as a glimmer of hope and reach out for help. We can also speak to those rescuers who may want to get a little course in care helping," Thomas suggested.