By Sara Vallone
Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
NASHVILLE — The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department is extending their thanks to rockstar Jon Bon Jovi.
According to reports, Bon Jovi was on a bridge at about 6 p.m. Sept. 10 when he and his team came upon a woman.
WSMV4 reports Bon Jovi was on the bridge for a shoot when he saw the woman who appeared to be having a mental health crisis.
The singer allegedly approached the woman and helped her through the crisis. Eventually, the Nashville Fire Department and the Metro Nashville Police Department arrived on scene as well.
The police department made a Facebook post Sept. 11 shouting out Bon Jovi and his team “for helping a woman in Nashville.”
Additionally, they shared surveillance footage of the moment.
Video shows a woman standing outside the barrier. Fifteen seconds into the video, Bon Jovi and one other person are seen walking over to her and talking to her.
The pair eventually help her over to the other side. Bon Jovi can be seen putting a hand on her shoulder before embracing in a hug before walking back down the bridge.
“Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge ... to safety,” the department said in its statement.
“It takes all of us to help keep each other safe,” Chief of Police John Drake added.
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2020, nearly 46,000 people died by suicide, which is one death every 11 minutes.
“An estimated 12.2 million American adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned a suicide attempt, and 1.2 million attempted suicide,” the CDC reported.
Suicide impacts people of all ages, and all groups. Some groups, however, experience higher suicide rates than others. Veterans, young people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and people who live in rural areas all have higher rates of suicide.
“Everyone has a role to play to save lives and create healthy and strong individuals, families and communities,” the CDC says.
If you or someone you know may be in danger of suicidal thoughts, call or text the free suicide and crisis lifeline at 988 to connect with a trained counselor.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
___
(c)2024 the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.)
Visit the Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) at www.mercedsunstar.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.