Hanging onto somebody by the ankles, two floors up, is not in a normal day's work for police officers, but that is what occurred in Torre del Mar.

These eternal 20 minutes gave neighbours and first responders time to throw out mattresses to be arranged to cushion the 31-year-old man’s fall.

This took place in the early morning of last Friday, around 07.00h, which was when the emergency coordination centre, received the first of several phone calls to say a man was sitting backwards on balcony bars with the intention of throwing himself off.

The emergency centre rapidly despatched officers from both the Policía Local and Policía Nacional to the address, as well as the fire service and an ambulance.

When they arrived, it was to see the man in a very agitated state, ready to throw himself off. Despite refusing to be helped by the officers (not to help himself off, of course) who had gained entrance to the flat and had reached the balcony, he toppled over backwards… but was caught by his ankles by two officers.

Determined to fall to his death, he tried to kick himself free but the officers hung onto him with increasing difficulty. And they continued to do so for 20 minutes, giving those below time enough to pile mattresses and cushions on which for him to land when they let go of it.

He was rushed to the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía, where he is recovering from the fall and his life is not in danger.

As for the officers, they receive damage to their wrists and forearms from the strain.

(News: Torre del Mar, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia)

Keywords: Balcony, Suicide Attempt, Jumped, Caught, Pile of Mattresses, Policia Nacional, Local

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