Meet the ‘Angel of the Ditch’ who saved 500 people from taking their own lives in Sydney
A good Samaritan was nicknamed the “Angel of the Ditch” after he stopped hundreds of people from jumping off a cliff near his home and taking their own lives.
Don Ritchie is believed to have saved almost 500 people from suicide at The Gap at South Head, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, over 50 years.
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his efforts before he died aged 85 in 2012.
His heroic efforts made him known as the ‘angel who walks among us’ with the heartfelt message engraved on the prestigious medal.
The commemoration of his contribution comes as World Mental Health Day began on Tuesday.
Don Ritchie (pictured) saved around 500 people from suicide at The Gap, a cliff face in Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Mr Ritchie lived across the road in Watson’s Bay, which is notorious for frequenting people who end their lives from the top of the 100m cliff.
The former life insurance salesman often saw people visiting the site before he noticed they would disappear.
Mr. Ritchie decided to step in and engaged in a simple act of kindness that would prevent a person from falling to his death.
He was filmed in a video for mental health charity RU OK around ten years ago with footage showing him inviting strangers to discuss their problems.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of them just like that to say, ‘What are you doing here,'” Mr Ritchie said.
‘Please come and talk to me, come and have a cup of tea… come and have a beer or something to get them out of their minds (sic) not to go there while I’m there ‘.
Every morning he looked at the edge of the cliff and if he saw someone standing near the edge, he rushed and helped them.
“We (Don and his wife Moya) have been involved in many of these incidents and it has become part of a way of life,” he said.
‘for me to sell (as) the idea why don’t we come and talk about it and see how we can fix it’.
While he stopped 160 people from committing suicide in his lifetime, Mr Ritchie’s family say he helped save the lives of around 500 people.
During his younger years, the former World War II veteran physically stopped several people from taking his own life.
While he was physically restraining potential victims from committing suicide, his wife Moya called the police.
The site (pictured) is often a site that several people tragically plunge to their deaths from the edge of the 100m high cliff face
Later, as he grew up and Mr. Ritchie became less strong, he began to invite people to his house for a cup of tea.
He would always lend a helping hand by offering a cup of tea or breakfast to those in trouble and simply asking if they wanted to talk.
Mr. Ritchie confined himself to speaking only to the needy, and never ventured to offer his advice or counsel as to how to deal with their affairs.
His efforts to help others almost led to his death a few decades ago when he was trying to save a woman standing just inches from the edge of a cliff.
The woman tried to jump into the sea and the rocky surface below, before Mr Ritchie managed to pull her out.
The horrific incident could have ended badly if the woman had jumped, which would have also sent Mr Ritchie off the cliff.
said Mr. Ritchie news.com he felt compelled to help those in need.
“You can’t sit back and watch them, you have to try to save them,” he said.
Mr Ritchie (pictured right) who died in 2012 aged 85 was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2006 for his efforts to save countless lives
Mr Ritchie lent his support to mental health workers and former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to raise funds to prevent suicide at The Gap.
World Mental Health Day raises awareness of mental health was established by the World Health Organization in 1992.
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