Lifeguard Training Kicks In

[Torchwatch]

I was cycling home from working in Gravesend last Thursday at 2am, as I crossed Rochester Bridge I was thinking how cold it was, how strange the light was with the 10/10 pollution level, how heavy my pack was and whether the young woman ahead was going to jump off the bridge.
Suddenly things happened fast, there was no time to make a 999 call (police, fire, ambulance, coastguard, mountain rescue), I shone my cycle lights at the windscreen of an approaching car and dashed across to grab the woman, now on the wrong side of the railings.
With the help of the 2 male psychiatric nurses in the car and a passing off duty police officer we were able to bring the young woman back to safety before the Police car arrived.
Swimming and towing lengths in pools and in the sea wearing red speedos and shorts , sitting through endless lectures outside he clubs beach hut prepares you to spot "the weak swimmer" or something different and to act. Getting help and taking action even if you cannot complete that action on your own.
There was no way that I was going to jump into the river that night, in the cold and dark it would not have been survivable among the strong currents under the triple bridge.
Afterwards I was in a cold sweat, freezing in my cycle shorts, my fingers fumbled, my knee bleeding from where I had slipped and fallen and I was somewhat emotional. I guess I'll never be a proper hero!