Holidaying Journalist Jumped Into Ocean To Save Suicidal Man, All While Greek Police Did Nothing
Tom Bradby, an experienced journalist for ITV, has relived the traumatic experience of witnessing a suicidal man driving into the ocean, revealing how he tried to save his life all while Greek police did nothing.
Bradby, 48, who is the political editor for ITV and the main presenter of the channel’s News at Ten, was holidaying in Rafina on the east coast of Greece at the time with his family, when he saw the elderly man drive straight into the water. Bradby wrote the following on his Twitter account.
Just watched an elderly man commit suicide in Greece by driving his car off the harbour wall in Rafina.
— tom bradby (@tombradby) August 16, 2015
Dived in, tried to help, couldn’t get him out. Completely shocking.
— tom bradby (@tombradby) August 16, 2015
Of the 9 or 10 customs officials and police on the quay only 1 went in to try and get him out as the car sank. The rest watched. Jesus…
— tom bradby (@tombradby) August 16, 2015
Am shaking with shock and anger. So much for the Greek holiday trade being business as usual.
— tom bradby (@tombradby) August 16, 2015
Many Twitter users were quick to praise Bradby, who took to Twitter for the first time in under a month to make his revelations, for his huge act of bravery, with people calling him “courageous.”
According to the Express, one even wrote to Bradby, “Very brave of you to try to help, he must have been in a very dark place. Hope you’re OK.” Another then commented, “Absolutely tragic. You did what you could so God bless you.”
No further information regarding the man’s attempted suicide have been revealed. The suicide rate in Greece is believed to have spiked over recent years due to the austerity crisis and financial struggles in the country. New research figures, which were gathered by Medscape back in June, revealed that suicide rates in Greece have risen by 35 percent in just under 2 years.
Speaking to Medscape Medical News, George Rachiotis, who works at the University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece, explained, “Our main finding was that after 2010, when harsh austerity measures were implemented in Greece, we noted a significant increase in suicide rates for the years 2011 and 2012 in comparisons to the period between 2003 and 2010.”
Rachiotis added, “In addition, we found that there was a significant correlation between suicide rates with an increase in unemployment in Greece, where unemployment has almost doubled [since 2009] and is now approaching 30 [percent].”
[Image via KieferPix / Shutterstock]
