Biker Stops Homeless Man From Jumping Off A Bridge — 'Everyday We Have A Chance To Make Someone's Life Better'
You never know when you'll have an opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.
@ryan_s_mann / TikTok You never know when your presence might impact another person’s life. Every so often, we find ourselves in the right place at the right time to make a difference, and one man on TikTok decided to share his attempt to do so.
A biker uploaded a video of himself stopping another man from jumping off a bridge.
TikTok user @ryan_s_mann frequently posts videos of himself on his motorcycle. While his content usually consists of flirting with girls or making jokes, one recent TikTok dealt with a serious incident.
In the video, Ryan is shown biking toward a man he saw standing on a bridge. After pulling up next to the man, he immediately asked if he was okay and walked over to check on him. The two hugged and talked briefly. When asked if he’s safe now, the man answered with, “Yeah.”
Needless to say, we can’t get the full story from a minute-long video. We don’t know whether or not the man in the video was really considering jumping off the bridge. From the context we’re given, all we can assume is that the TikTok creator saw someone he believed to be in danger, rushed to help him, and possibly saved his life.
Ryan presumably posted the video to inspire others to help people in need whenever possible. In his caption, he wrote, “It doesn’t matter who you were, who you are, or who you’re trying to become, every day we have the chance to improve someone else’s life. Don’t waste that chance.”
The TikTok struck a chord with thousands of viewers.
People took to the comments to express their respect for Ryan, and to ask about the man in the video. “Haven’t seen him since. Hoping he’s ok,” Ryan said in response to these questions.
A few people speculated that the man may not have been planning to jump, but Ryan stressed the importance of checking anyway. A couple of cynical comments even accused the man of staging the scenario or pretending to be troubled for money, to which Ryan responded, “Would you risk his life for that assumption? Even if it’s true we should still treat others how we want to be treated.”
Ryan’s video hit people hard, particularly those who had experienced the aftermath of suicide firsthand. "From a fellow rider, witnessed 6 friends lose their battles and multiple suicide attempt survivor much love bro need more ppl like you fr thanks bro,” one comment read.
“I’m sorry to hear that man, keep your head up,” Ryan replied.
Another person wrote, “I wish someone stopped and made sure my friend was ok but you're a real one for this dawg RIP.”
“I’m sorry man. We can only do our best,” Ryan responded.
While some people might object to posting a stranger’s moment of vulnerability online, Ryan clearly felt that the video was important to share. When one commenter remarked that the video was “so weird to post,” Ryan replied, “We need to spread more love man.”
We can only hope that the man featured in the video is doing well now and that more people like Ryan will feel inclined to step up when they have a chance to help someone.
Jessica Bracken is a writer living in Davis, California. She covers entertainment and news for YourTango.