BUTTERWORTH: It was a snap decision and two newspaper photographers from The Sun and The Star today made it in time to save a woman from a suicide leap into the sea at KM 3.4 of the Penang Bridge here today.

In the dramatic incident at 12.30 pm, the two newsmen who were riding their motorcycles from Butterworth to Penang saw a 37-year-old woman in the midst of climbing the edge of the bridge.

It was to be a routine ride to cover an assignment in Georgetown when Sun photographer Masry Che Ani, 48, and Ahmad Zhafaran Nasib, 39, of The Star saw the woman in distress, before the two decided to stop and investigate.

"We initially thought maybe the woman had a problem with her motorcycle or she was on the phone (calling for help). As we got closer, we saw her trembling (sobbing). We felt uncomfortable and decided to stop and help.

"When we tried to approach her, we heard the woman crying, and then we tried to persuade her to come down from the edge, and at the same time, explained that jumping off the bridge was no way to solve her problems," said Masry when contacted today.

He said Ahmad Zhafaran had urged him to pull the woman down from the edge, and he managed to hold on to the victim, who tried to resist, but the two men eventually managed to pull the woman back to safety.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Zhafaran said he was happy they took the decision to stop and help the woman, and that he had contacted the police as soon as they had rescued her.

He said once the woman was saved, she was sobbing uncontrollably, and he and Masry calmed her down to take her mind off the mere seconds from tragedy.

"I am thankful that we managed to save an innocent life. We have covered so much news about suicide and rescue missions in the years that we have served.

"I never thought that we would one day actually be rescuing someone. This was our first real experience," he said.

He said police then arrived at the location and took the woman to the hospital for further examination.

-- BERNAMA



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