Man Tries to Stop Suicide, Falls 14 Floors

The man he was trying to help survived fall from college dorm
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 18, 2015 1:07 AM CDT
Man Tries to Stop Suicide, Falls 14 Floors
The Hale Wainani dormitory is seen at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.   (AP Photo/Jennifer Sinco Kelleher)

Students are moving into dorms at the University of Hawaii this week, but the mood is somber: A man fell 14 floors to his death from a ledge outside a dorm room early Sunday in what authorities believe was an attempt to stop another man from jumping. Police sources tell Hawaii News Now that at around 2am, a 19-year-old man was walking along the ledge, threatening to jump. A 24-year-old man was also on the ledge, trying to stop the teen from killing himself, and both men ended up falling to the ground. They were rushed to the hospital in critical condition and the 24-year-old later died, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports.

Police sources say a witness has told them there was a party going on at the time, and he heard yelling before both men fell. A university spokesman tells the Star-Advertiser that the men weren't students but were visiting somebody who lives on campus. The university is looking into whether the student code was violated. "This was a terrible tragedy and our condolences go out to the family and friends of the two men," the spokesman says. The 19-year-old remains in critical condition. (Researchers have found that talk therapy is a powerful tool for preventing suicides.)

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