The burdens placed on people by factors such as work, school or the environment at different stages of life can become unbearable at some point. Unfortunately, when individuals who come to this point do not communicate with their relatives or a specialist, they can reach depressing results that will harm their own lives.
When it comes to this point, locations in different parts of the world come to the fore. These are the locations that these individuals prefer heavily. The place that is the subject of this content is The Gap in Australia. So what’s special about this place?
The cliffs in Sydney do not only attract the attention of tourists:
The individuals we just mentioned have also tended to the cliffs in Sydney over the years. The spread of this situation over time also caused this place to be remembered as a location where people jumped down.
Don Ritchie, the hero of our story, was also sitting near the cliff, which was called the cliff at the time. In this context, those who wanted to go here had to pass in front of his house, regardless of their purpose. Watching those who passed by and came closer to the shore than usual, Don saved the lives of 160 people in 50 years. So how?
Those about to jump off the cliff where 50 people are thought to commit suicide each year are faced with Don’s kind offer:
Don, who sees people on the shore approaching dangerously close to the cliff , approached them politely and invited them to drink tea or beer. He invited the people who accepted this invitation to his house and started chatting. There was no advice, counsel, or condemnation in this conversation. They just mostly listened to each other talking about everyday topics.
And this conversation, which drew their attention to a different place for a short time, really made those people stop jumping and they were returning home:
Even Don’s help From time to time, one of his contacts even sent him letters and visited him. It also made Don happy to see that the woman whose life he had saved was well and happy. For 50 years, Don’s helping hand reached those who were approaching the abyss, and in these 50 years he saved the lives of 160 people as recorded.
Of course, this is just the number of recorded ones. Don’s family even says the number is 400.
Of course, it was not possible for him to save everyone. However, he approached very maturely against situations where he failed
There were also those who did not accept Don’s kind offer and lost their lives. In addition, the people that Don could not reach shared the same fate. But the majority accepted this offer and chatted with Don.
The situations where he could not save people did not make him offended by what he did. On the contrary, he made an effort to do the best he could for each person.
Don, known as the Angel of the Gap and an example to many, passed away in 2012
Don was awarded a medal of honor in 2006. In this context, he was elected citizen of the year along with his wife. In 2011, the local hero award was given to him.
unfortunately passed away in 2012 due to natural causes. Don, who has saved many lives in the area known by his name as The Gapism, has shown how critical it is to just talk to people who are in bad shape and who could harm him. You can share your thoughts in the comment section.
Sources: Personal Excellence, RU OK?
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