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Suicidal man calls Dublin radio station

By Sinead O'Carroll
File photo of the area

File photo of the area

Image: Google Streetview
10/01/13 97,377 Views 211 Comments

A DUBLIN RADIO station has broadcast a live call with a man threatening to jump from a bridge in Loughlinstown this evening.

The FM104 Phoneshow took a call this evening from a man who identified himself as Jay. The caller told the presenter he had a knife.

Members of An Garda Síochána and the man’s parents were at the scene.

Gardaí confirmed to TheJournal.ie that there is a live policing operation taking place at Loughlinstown since about 9.50pm. A spokesperson from the Press Office said no further details are currently available.

AA Roadwatch have said the N11/Stillorgan Rd is closed outbound at Loughlinstown due to an incident.

During the course of the call, Jay talked to the presenter about his psychosis and the treatment he had received.

He became angry on a number of occasions and warned Gardaí to stay off the bridge.

The presenter, Jeremy Dixon, made it clear that the call was “sprung on him”.

Answering a number of queries about why the radio station continued to broadcast the call, he said there was “no other way to deal with it”.

“I dealt with it the way I thought was appropriate.

“He wanted to talk to FM104. He didn’t ring anybody else, he didn’t ring his family, he rang FM104…When someone rings and they feel as desperate and that, there is only one thing to do and that is to talk to them…Hopefully it has worked.”

He added, “I would have preferred that conversation to happen off the air. Physically it was not possible for it to happen off air.”

[Update]

At 11.35pm, Gardaí were still on the scene and no injuries were reported.

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Comments (87 Comments)

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  • Brendan Cox 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I hope he comes out of it ok… dunno what I would have done if I was the presenter

    Reply

    • Michael Hayes 10/01/13 Report this comment

      Yeah, you don’t want to wish ill-will upon anyone but hopefully it wasn’t just someone crying wolf for a bit of attention. If it wasn’t I fully sympathize with this man and his family, but there’s something not quite right about being suicidal and then calling a radio station and chatting for hours.

    • lorcan kelly 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Just shows how bad the health system in this country is towards mental health when a sick man has to resort to phoning a radio station for help

    • Jamie Mccormack 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Michael I doubt it was a publicity stunt.. like Lorcan I think if a fella feels the need to ring a popular radio station to make his grievance heard, then there’s something wrong with how we deal with people with serious psychological problems.. to be honest I didn’t hear the call, I tuned in too late, but from the comments on here I get the picture.. Hope the fella gets the help he needs..At least we’re talking about the subject?

    • Ian Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

      No Lorcan, that people with mental health problems do. You can’t blame the country for everything!

    • Ian Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

      That is what people with mental health problems do.

      I wish you could edit your comments here!

    • john cooling 11/01/13 Report this comment

      #prayforjay.

    • Tom Osburn 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Reading

    • Michael Hayes 11/01/13 Report this comment

      I don’t agree that it’s an indictment on the countries health system that this happened – many people receive all sorts of help before committing suicide. There’s ample service available for people with mental health problems it’s just no-one really knows where they are and a lot are being frivolously squandered on those who made bad choices rather than actually disturbed people.

    • James Connolly 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Just a few points;
      The instant it was established that this wasn’t your average call the radio station should have gone blank.
      There are far too many emotive discussions below saying he wanted to be heard, the mental service are rubbish, they treat people badly, what if he had jumped had radio station gone silent…
      We know the mental health service is in need of reform, we know it treats some people very poorly, neither of those things is news to anyone.
      I would question this mans ability to take his own life, there are rumours below that this isn’t the first time it’s happened, and if that’s the case, then I would definitely question the mans ability to follow through, which would suggest in a clinical setting that he doesn’t want to follow through. Also, there are far more efficient, less spectacular methods of suicide than jumping off a bridge, or stabbing, or (as was mentioned below) electrocution on a transmission tower.
      The fact is that it doesn’t matter if this gent were “serious” about suicide, if he were; a phone call to the local radio station is certainly not going to change anything for him.
      I can only imagine how I would feel if I were a friend or a loved one of this man tuning into the radio station, or even a relative of someone who did take their own life, or someone who was contemplating suicide as a course of action, or someone who may have attempted suicide in the past.
      Ireland needs to held a number of social discussions; suicide, assisted suicide, abortion, bullying, social media, mental health; none of those discussions needs to be at the behest of a man holding a knife on a bridge. These discussions are wild enough as it is. They need to be controlled, measured, honest, factual, informed, cold and clinical discussions, not emotive, or extreme, but realistic.
      I hope this gent finds peace, and moves on from here.

    • Roisin McLoughlin 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Really well put James

    • Dec Rowe 11/01/13 Report this comment

      James, The problem i have with with what you have said is that I don’t believe that these topics are talked about enough, we might read in the paper about some poor guy committing suicide and leaving a family behind but we don’t all talk about it! Our health system and system for treatment for mental health issues is in more than need of reform! What this guy and what the radio station has done is stirred up something that needs to be discussed, not just read about and forgotten tomorrow… We need to know why €30 million of funding for suicide prevention was spent elsewhere! http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1229/1224328254932.html
      We need to know why the HSE expect to increase waiting times for patients when they are cutting 4000 jobs just to save €721 million!
      http://www.thejournal.ie/hse-plan-cuts-748533-Jan2013/
      The country is being stripped bare! Ordinary people like this guy Jay are suffering! The fat cats don’t care! And we have people like you that would prefer if we just talked about things like good boys and girls!
      When a person is will to stand on the edge of a bridge and scream for help he/she deserves to be listened to, and helped! At the very least we should be able to talk about it no matter what are opinions are off it! I hope people don’t forget about Jay! He represents a lot of people who don’t have his courage to ask for help!!!

    • Phillip O Brien 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Looking at your thumbs down I see people just like the colour red as I cant see anything abusive in your comment

    • Tom Osburn 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Reading all the comments bellow and listening to part of tonight’s radio show, I am shocked and what the country has come to. I am even more shocked that a national radio station would allow a person to attempt suicide live on air.
      I do not buy into the suggestion the DJ did his best under the circumstances on the night. It was clear from the start that this guy was unstable for many reasons. It was mentioned below that apparently the guy was on air with them back in May after having been up on the bridge threatening the same thing. If that true it makes it even worse as surely they keep some sort of list of callers that are a risk on air. Why did he cut to ads mid-crisis? So the station revenue was important at this particular time. Somebody suggested he could not cut him off as he may have done it but it was okay to cut him off for the comercials. Give me a break! And how many copycat calls will there be over the next month?
      I am sure as also suggested that this practiced is outlawed by the body responsible for radio. I know it is in the UK as a friend worked in the BBC and was telling me that they had a delay system to stop this kind of thing on live radio shows. It concerns me what would have happened if the guy really did take his life on the air. Would that have been entertaining radio? I think not and I am sure jobs would be lost.
      I am aware that this show and others dangle on the edge of legality but on this occasion i think they went too far. It seems they took advantage and a risk that the guy wouldn’t do it and rolled with the publicity which is the most irresponsible radio broadcast I have ever heard on a national radio station. Yes suicide needs awareness but this is not the way to do it. The radio station have left themselves wide open for every unsettled person to call in and do the same. Will they allow live murders on next to top that?

  • Stephen Ryan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Jeremy dealt with it very well. Fair play. I hope the man is ok. My thoughts go out to him and his family.

    Reply

  • Lochlann Scott 10/01/13 Report this comment

    It would probably be a good idea for presenters of talk shows to take part in the ASSIST programme which gives skills to all people no matter what their profession to help in situations such as this, it is free.

    Although it would probably have been best to have a contingency plan in place for live shows like this where the presenter could go off live air and still talk to the person. Very tricky situation to handle I hope it turns out ok for the man. And I hope FM104 gives some support to the presenter afterwards.

    Lochlann
    http://www.helplink.ie

    Reply

    • Elmo 10/01/13 Report this comment

      I mentioned this on another site and got told to F off. I wasn’t suggesting that only trained psychiatrists should present phone in talk shows, but given the topics they sometimes discuss on them it’s not so stupid to think they should have some sort of training in how to deal with things like this in general.

    • Ryan Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

      That’s a great facility, and thanks for sharing.

      I know that more than once, on a sister site to this one (boards.ie), moderators and users were on more than one occasion confronted with someone claiming to be suicidal. These situations were above and beyond what these voluntary members of the community could be expected to bear responsibility for.

      While participating in such a programme as ASSIST would obviously not change the ongoing policy on that site, which is not to engage for fear of doing harm, it would be of benefit to anyone not normally trained in such matters, and who feel they may encounter such a situation, be they internet moderators, people who work in a public sphere, or indeed radio producers or presenters.

      I’m glad that the situation has not escalated, and hope the presenter kept the head and wasn’t too overcome or overburdened by the whole thing.

    • Sam Rhodes 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Surely radio stations who encourage emotive topics on ‘talk radio’ shows should be trained to deal with these types of situations, both in terms of callers and response from the station?I’ll be pretty startled if the chances of an incident like this happening hadn’t occurred to them before tonight.

    • Louise Donnellon 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Yes I did the assist suicide prevention programme great and it actually talks straight out about suicide. This young man seems to have gone unheard I hope he gets the care he has asked for and thanks to him he has highlighted suicide. This country is way behind in mental health care. Dark ages

  • Art McCarrick 11/01/13 Report this comment

    €35m set aside for suicide prevention was siphoned off into other areas of health service last year to cover shortfalls. Makes you think

    Reply

  • Matthew Holmes 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I didn’t hear it myself but I hope the guy is Ok. I also hope Jeremy is ok- having someone threaten to kill themselves down the other end of the phone line must be incredibly stressful- you’d have to feel like their life was in your hands. I hope he gets a break or something.

    Reply

  • Renie Cantwell 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Hope Jay gets the help he needs, and his family will need the help also to help there son.

    Reply

  • ken 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Yeah cud’t believe it when came on air,thought it was a wind up,but it’s second time,a last desperate cry for help,hopefully he geylts it,shud’t have to come to this

    Reply

  • Declan Hickey 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Poor guy. Hope he gets the help he needs.

    Reply

  • Karin Carthy 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I’ll probably get red thumbs for this, but this guy does this all the time, he’s well known to Gards and the hospital beside the bridge, they show up each time with about six Garda vans and the hospital on standby, close down the n11 and wait for him to eventually climb back over the bridge. I live round the corner and have seen it personally at least three times myself within the last month.

    I do believe he needs help but this is a frequent waste of valuable emergency services time and is trivialising those genuinely considering suicide. If this guy really wanted to kill himself he’d have done it a long time ago and most likely would not have rung a flippin radio station for his last ever conversation. The n11 is STILL blocked off, I just drove home about twenty minutes ago.

    He’ll probably be back next week. If he actually does jump then yes I will feel bad for what i’ve said but he’s cried wolf an awful lot of times that no one knows about, and it’s just not the way to get help.

    Reply

  • John Deane 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I hope he gets the help he needs.

    Reply

  • AdeleM 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Wow!! Just saw comments on another thread and had no idea what they were about! Hope he was talked down!

    Reply

  • Jeff 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Why didn’t they really need to air it??? Its time people in this country wake up and realise that these things are happening in our own society. Mental health is a major issue in this country and the stigma is an even bigger issue. The circumstances of this incident are unfortunate, no doubt about it, but for a radio presenter to be put in that position and then critisiced by ignorant listeners for not doing the right thing is ridiculous. So two things to learn here; you didn’t take the phonecall nor did you speak with the person alleging to kill himself so keep shut! and second; Suicide is a problem in this country and blaming a radio station for being put on the spot and ultimately airing a serious piece of reality is not the solution. Educate yourselves and end the stigma.

    Reply

    • Siobhan Connell 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Absolutely there is massive stigma around mental health in this country and suicide is a huge problem. It needs to be discussed. The reason, however, for not airing things like this is that it can be considered to be triggering. There is legitimate concern that other people in an equally bad place hearing things like this could be pushed over the edge. There are very strict guidelines out there for how these things should be handled in the media, such as not providing too much detail on the attempt itself. That said from the article I believe there was no other choice but to continue to air at the time other than ending the call which was not an option.

    • Bernadette Otoole 13/01/13 Report this comment

      Well said Jeff ..

    • Linda O Leary 13/01/13 Report this comment

      I agree the issue is the mental health of this guy not whether it shud or shud not have been aired people have missed the point I hope they never have mental health issues and have to deal with ignorance.hope jay gets the health he needs.

  • Aindriu Winters 11/01/13 Report this comment

    For sad all round,

    The presenter handled it best he could.

    The guy ‘jay’ needs professional help and I for one hope he receives it.

    Spare a thought for this guys family, his mother & father sounded absolutely terrified when I was listening to it earlier (they arrived on the scene and his father spoke with presenter on the phone)

    Please don’t judge someone without knowing all the facts, it could be your son, daughter, family friends etc in a similar situation one day.

    Reply

  • 180maximum 10/01/13 Report this comment

    His 3rd or 4th on the same bridge, he does it regular, obviously not getting the help he wants

    Reply

  • Elmo 10/01/13 Report this comment

    He was on the radio with them back in May after threatening to do the same thing. He even said tonight that he tried to electrocute himself on the RTÉ tower last week but 6 security guards tackled him before he got a chance to do it.
    He did sound genuinely upset at times when talking about it but he also sounded extremely paranoid at times. If, as a lot of people are implying, he is a regular feature on Loughlinstown bridge you have to wonder how serious he is? Still, I suppose you can’t take the risk and hang up on him.

    Reply

    • Shane Hogan 11/01/13 Report this comment

      I’m sure there’s more sides to the story.
      He may have been given help before but not cooperated, you have to take what he says with a grain of salt.
      Yea, all threats to life should be taken seriously, but don’t take the opinion of a man with mental issues as gospel.

  • Conor? 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Unbelievable, I hope he’s ok.

    Reply

  • Louise Colgan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Whether the call was kept on air to boost ratings or not, it has already got people talking and hopefully will only help the plight of getting greater awareness on the growing problem of mental health issues in Ireland and the lack of resources to tackle this problem. My heart goes out to this poor guy that he has had to go to such desperate measures to get help.

    Reply

  • Gerarda Berger 10/01/13 Report this comment

    May this poor man find inner peace

    Reply

  • 180maximum 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Red thumbs for stating the truth, this lad is doing something nearly every week, of course it couldn’t happen off air because it wouldn’t be any good for the station would it? The last time he caused the N11 for 5 hours he came down for a breakfast roll! Gardai and the emergency services turn up without fail every time and do their best, just needs a doctor to section him…if that’s required

    Reply

    • Joe OShea 10/01/13 Report this comment

      He’ll continue to do it, now that radio station such as FM104 has given him a voice. They have most likely given encouragement to others to do the same.

    • Katrina Carroll 11/01/13 Report this comment

      The chap suffers from psycosis joe, so yea there is a possibility he will do it again and again until he either get the help he needs and deserves or he succeeds in his attempt to end his life.. Maybe you should try not be so judgemental.

    • reds 11/01/13 Report this comment

      @joe- so it’s a bad thing that a radio station had given him a voice?

      I’d pat them on the back for being brave enough to highlight the stigma that is suicide!

    • willie 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Lookin well katrina ;-)

    • Tanya Espania 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Trying to kill himself in rte towers….ringing a phone in radio show more than once saying he was going to kill himself…does not sound like a sincere suicide attempt….just attention seeking…

    • Katrina Carroll 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Tanya i know a person who 6 times done something like that.. Eveyone thought in the end itd attention seeking.. Guess what.. He didnt fail on his 7 th attempt.

  • Diarmaid Twomey 10/01/13 Report this comment

    If anyone wants to know how vile humanity can be just check #fm104 on Twitter – GAA players asking to be informed when he jumps etc. I really hope the man is ok!

    Reply

    • Cornelius Crow 10/01/13 Report this comment

      GAA players? Generalise much?

    • Diarmaid Twomey 11/01/13 Report this comment

      I’m not going to name him as that would be unfair!

    • Diarmaid Twomey 11/01/13 Report this comment

      I did not mean GAA players in the plural sense in case anyone thought I was suggesting there were loads of them at it btw!

    • Cornelius Crow 11/01/13 Report this comment

      No need to mention GAA at all. Thats just stirring. Was wrong what he tweeted but it has zero to do with the GAA

    • SilentFugitive 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Yes Crow, there is. As GAA players they typically would gather a lot of followers that would receive those tweets. They have a duty to seriously think about what they are tweeting before pushing it out there. Whether intentional or not, any remarks that make light of such a subject is just poor form. I read the tweet in question and I think it was just bad choice of words the follow up from an inter county player though was a shockingly poor joke!

    • Cornelius Crow 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Seriously lads ye need to get a grip. The man is an individual. He’s not the organisation. He is not representing anyone only himself when he tweets. But then again I suppose no one is held accountable for their own actions seems to be the trend in Ireland at the moment. Why dont ye put the blame on twitter? Or his internet provider? or the makers of the device he used to tweet?

    • SilentFugitive 11/01/13 Report this comment

      By association to a role or organisation, you have to take personal responsibility of what you tweet. If Barack Obama put a daft tweet out there, would people not associate that with his position as the President of the United States? No one is blaming the GAA here, just poor invidivual choice given the link to said organisation.

  • SMcB 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I doubt Jeremy Dixon came on air tonight and thought ‘Im going to have to deal with someone who wants to top themselves tonight’. I only hope the person in question gets the help he needs and that be the end of it.

    Reply

  • Ann Kennedy 10/01/13 Report this comment

    he could very well have had a small radio to double check he was on air. this is possible. if he considered he was being duped then we could have had a free falling body. i hope he is ok i sincerely hope he was calmed and managed to get down safely. i wish him well.

    Reply

  • Joe Forsyth 10/01/13 Report this comment

    One plus is that there is a better chance of him getting help with it being broadcast live. Like everything in this country – no one gives a toss til it’s too late. Hopefully that’s not the case this time.

    Reply

  • Anne Marie Foster Hoban 10/01/13 Report this comment

    They were right to talk to him im sure jay wouldnt like to feel cut off :(

    Reply

  • Kirsten McCann 10/01/13 Report this comment

    he rang a live radio show and considering the fact that depression is such a taboo subject in ireland despite the huge numbers of people it affects i think as an influential media programme fm104 phoneshow handled the call really well. the call instantly became a matter of public interest and as such they had an obligation to follow the story as far as possible

    Reply

  • Tony Kavanagh 10/01/13 Report this comment

    “He added that it was “not possible for it to happen off air.” = nonsense. The presenter could have played non-stop music and continued to talk to the guy if he was so concerned. Simply leave a CD or playlist running. My heart goes out to the man on the bridge and I sincerely hope he gets all the help he needs.

    Reply

  • Bláthnaid Belladonna 11/01/13 Report this comment

    He down off the bridge now

    Reply

  • 5☆Fily 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Lucky he didn’t ring Larry Gogans just a minute quiz

    Reply

  • Smod 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Well done to the DJ. Hope the poor man gets the treatment he needs.

    Reply

  • Alan Carroll 10/01/13 Report this comment

    It’s a very difficult issue , but if Jay’s Cry for help went unheard tonight , we would probably be looking at another unnecessary suicide. If only more people who have taking their lives talked before they did , maybe , just maybe they would not have done it.

    Reply

  • Feithín Ó Fátharta 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Those of you who say yer man couldn’t be taken off air and “shame on FM104″, what would you do in that situation? You can’t just simply cut a person off air when he’s crying for help, God knows what he would have done if the said “hold on a sec while we transfer you over into the control room” and simply put on music. The engineer could have been just as shocked as well and could have accidently cut him off altogether instead just off air. The human mind is a strange thing and you’ll never know what it might do next.

    Reply

  • Anne Lawton 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Why shouldn’t he be heard on air? This country needs to wake up and realise just because he has psychosis or whatever mental illness at the moment it doesn’t make him less of a person, well done to the DJ. I think if the DJ did take the call off air while letting him think he was on air it would be very disrespectful, Sincerely hope this young man is safe and gets the help he needs to recover and get on with the rest of his life.He and his family are in my prayers

    Reply

  • Stephen Nolan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I wonder why it was not possible to take the call off air?

    Reply

    • Vincent Dolan 10/01/13 Report this comment

      A mystery….

    • Alan Burke 10/01/13 Report this comment

      Jay was listening to the show live and asked that everything be aired. Jeremy could not refuse. Jeremy has probably saved this guy’s life tonight and should be commended for how he handled it.

    • Feithín Ó Fátharta 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Depends on the radio station’s layout. You cannot simply in human terms cut off a person who is begging for help. In a relatively radio station, there are ways to make the caller believe he was still on air by cutting the studio off and switching to an automated playback system. FM104 are relatively small and may have only the one on-air studio like loads of radio stations across the country. Everything goes through this studio, prerecorded shows, commercial breaks ect. If that’s the case in FM104, (and of course, depending on the setup) they couldn’t cut the studio off without taking the whole station off air. Larger radio stations who have multiple on air studios can cut one studio off but make the presenter and callers believe they’re still on-air. Hope this might explain why FM104 possibly couldn’t cut the caller off. Hope the man is alright because suicide is a terrible thing

    • Feithín Ó Fátharta 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Sorry, that should have been realtivly *large radio station

    • Ronan Fitzgerald 11/01/13 Report this comment

      @feithin when fm 104 were in Hume house ten years ago they had three broad cast studios, I can only imagine that they certainly would have the facilities to shift broadcast and still allow a phone in to believe they were on air.

  • Frank Flanagan 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Just heard that this guy is a ‘regular’, well known to the Emergency Services and does this caper 4 times a week, for a living. They are wore out with him. Huge waste of 999 resources and taxpayers money.
    104 fell for it. Comreg’s phone will be RED in the morning.
    There are people out there GENUINELY contemplating suicide and feel they can talk to no-one… These are the people who need our help…
    Makes me laugh to see people making this DJ out to be some kind of ‘hero’.
    If you mention anything negative AT ALL on their Facebook page, they just block you and delete it… Bit biased if you ask me.

    Reply

    • Dec Rowe 11/01/13 Report this comment

      He’s got you and a lot of other people discussing the issues with mental health problems and the lack of support! its people like him that sometimes inadvertently brings about mass discussion of a topic can lead to changes being adopted by organisations and governments to help people like him! People that are willing to get off their couches and shout from the edge of a bridge deserves to be listened to… And helped!

  • Ken Mason 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Suicide is so personal to each individual and if the poor guy felt that he needed to have his plight aired on live radio then how could 104 not have accommadated him and refused- it could have had disastrous consequences. Hopefully,after the recent suicide of that politician and tonight’s incident this government will finally get adequate funding to the various institutions that are trained to help. There are far too many suicides in this country and if tonight’s 104 show saves just one life then it will have been worth it. All you people on here who have commented negatively should be ashamed of yourselves and cop on!!

    Reply

  • Dee Boshell McKeown 11/01/13 Report this comment

    This guy is crying out for help,and unfortunately the system in this country is so deplorable that although its his fundamental right to receive the medical care that he needs, unfortunately if he needed to be sectioned for his own and/or others safety, there is NOWHERE for him to go. There are NO beds available in the hospitals that specialise in a mental disorder, unless you have several thousand Euro to pay each month for private care. The best he could hope for is to spend hours and hours in A&E, where he would eventually be assessed, given a pack of pills and sent home. Not the fault of the doctors/ nurses or staff in any of these hospitals,as they can only work with what is available to them to treat any patient , whatever their condition. Maybe the radio station by broadcasting this occurrence will do more good by forcing the powers that be to take their fingers out of their asses and address the total lack of help for not only someone like this guy, but for anyone who needs any medical assistance, and do something about it. Unfortunately for most people in this country, until you or someone you know becomes ill, you wont realise how deplorable the system is.

    Reply

  • Lavinia Quinn 10/01/13 Report this comment

    This lad has psychosis and some medication makes sufferers more suicidal with suicidal toughts this poor lad along with many mental health sufferers do not receive care they need many are given medication without any oyther help medication on its own doesnt help and psychosis is aloss of reality wen will this country realise more needs to be done.and offered god luv this chap if he tried it before and still feels like this it highlights tht more needs to be done

    Reply

  • John Phoenix 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Been done before. Years ago someone called The Howard Stern Show while threatening to jump off the George Washington Bridge.
    Hope he’s ok though.

    http://articles.latimes.com/1994-12-08/news/mn-6575_1_personality-howard-stern

    Reply

  • Keith Wizzy 10/01/13 Report this comment

    All too common suicide. Hope he ends up okay. Know of two this week so far. It’s always been common in Ireland but seems more so now than ever. There’s something seriously wrong with the fabric of our country where people feel the need to escape this way. Didn’t hear the programme but don’t think it appropriate that the conversation was broadcast involving someone so vulnerable.

    Reply

  • Sabrina Danielle Bray 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Dnt kno why everyone is giving out bout fm104 airing it what would u do in this situation I kno I’d panic nd wouldn’t even think bout the on air off air situation I had. Family member with a mental illness nd can honestly say we never knew till it was rock bottom with this person nd then ther is sick ppl postin jump nd more horrible stuff on fb hope ye never hav to deal with this in yer family ye hav no idea

    Reply

  • Christmas Carroll 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Disgusted in the people that complained. This is a deontological form of ethic. The act, helping the man by staying on the line, outweighs possible consequences, the odd person being annoyed. Mental health issues need to be made aware to people so we can tackle them TOGETHER. By hanging up due to the sensitivity of the call things might have ended very quickly and in a bad way…

    Reply

  • Karen Foy 11/01/13 Report this comment

    this is not the first time that he has done this…and he has been taking for help and he still puts his family threw this…He has cops standing waiting around to see what he does…of course the cops are going to have to go to the place he tells half the nation he is..did he think about what effect it would have on the people that had to come and pick him up or if he landed on a car..how that driver would feel…

    Reply

    • claire voigt 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Mental illness is just that, an illness. I don’t believe a suicidal person is in the right frame of mind to contemplate the repercussions of their actions. If they were thinking straight they would know to get help and that people care.

  • Sandy Coleman 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Before anyone says it should or shouldn’t be aired must know the answer, would he of known it wasn’t being aired?
    It all depends on that answer.

    Reply

  • James Patrick Smith 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Fm 104 hands were tied can you imagine the uproar if they refused the call or didn’t air it and the Chap Jay killed himself?

    Besides why shouldn’t people hear the real problems in society? Is it a case of hear no evil see no evil?

    Some people in Ireland for a variety of reasons are becoming desperate and suicidal, whether it is from a predisposed genetic disposition, lifestyle choices, mental health issues, stress over the recession, bullying, cyber bullying, substance abuse, relationship breakdown.

    We will see more and more incidents like this one until the problems are addressed. Mental health education and personal development needs to implemented in our schools.

    Where is the compassion and empathy for people going through Hell and left with the thought that suicide is the only option? A lot of the single passenger road fatalities are actually suicides but aren’t reported, we see children committing suicide over bullying more and more.

    I also wonder how many suicides are related to austerity? As a Country we need to demand real reforms on the issue or the consequences will be dire.

    Reply

    • Wynnner 11/01/13 Report this comment

      I’d would rather see truthful death certs then we might have a truer number of people who sadly resort to taking their own lives. Its a higher number than we think and still services are not available to those who need it.

  • Pilib O Muiregan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    If he was genuinely suicidal he would not have tried it at the RTE tower last week or not have rang a phoneshow tonight. Most people who commit suicide do it somewhere where the chances of been caught before they die are slim to none. Contacting a radio show is a cry for attention or help. I don’t believe this man would of done it yonight

    Reply

    • Jimbo Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

      How the hell do you know how the mind of a suicidal person, or any other individual, works. Ever heard of a cry for help? You know, when someone feels so marginalised that they have to commit an extreme act to get the help they need? A little compassion and human decency goes a long way.

  • lisamcguinness 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Sincerely hope he gets the help he needs.
    Something like that should never be broadcast. If he wanted to talk to the DJ then play some songs and continue the call off air.

    Reply

  • Dympna Burke 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Well done on taking this desperate mans call you dealt with it in appropriate manner hope he is ok.

    Reply

  • Linda Doyle 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I can only ASSUME that some of the ridiculous comments being made by some here, have either never suffered from any sort of mental health issues themselves, or had to deal with it in their families or friends! While the mental health sector does need reform, so does every other health section in this country! There are plenty of excellent places out there for people to find help- if they want it. Its not an easy thing for people in a difficult situation to do. I wish people would refrain from making ridiculous statements about something they have no idea about. We are all guilty of being too quick to judge sometimes!

    Reply

  • Paul Leonard 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Update me please! Is the guy ok?

    Reply

  • Art McCarrick 10/01/13 Report this comment

    A decent producer would never have put the presenter in that position

    Reply

  • Robin Blandford 11/01/13 Report this comment

    The broadcast went against most of the media guidelines from the HSE on media dealing with suicide.

    http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/services/Mentalhealth/Media_Guidelines_for_the_Portrayal_of_Suicide_3.pdf

    “…The media can have a huge positive influence by avoiding the portrayal of suicide as the tragic last act of an anti-hero, which risks immortalising and glorifying the act of suicide as much as it does the person who has died,”

    Reply

  • Ricki Brennan 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Come on guys! Lets put this simple…..
    He asked for it to be on air…. what if for some reason he had a way of knowing if this was on air or not and the DJ took him off. Im pretty sure the situation would of turned much worse. Plenty of people have more than 1 phone. you can easily get that App and play it to see if it was on air.
    I know it aounds over complicated but so was the poor chaps situation at the time!

    Reply

  • Aindriu Winters 11/01/13 Report this comment

    It is sad some members of society would always be focusing on the negative side if things. Take a step back, what would YOU do in that situation, I don’t usually listen to fm104, but you know what? I don’t care what their fuc*ing ratings are today, tomorrow forever, we are talking about someones life, have we disengaged so much that we have become immune to feelings *sigh*

    Positive news is this person may get they help they need and with all the positive messages on Twitter & facebook etc.. he might just see & feel he is loved & people closest to him DO care.

    Jay, if you read this, don’t do it you are not alone.

    Reply

  • Daniel Condren 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Jesus christ he could have killed innocent people by jumping onto the N11, although suicide is serious and all, quite a selfish thing to do

    Reply

  • Mary Dunne 11/01/13 Report this comment

    A brave presenter, the easier option was to fade out the call with music and pretend the call was lost.
    I do hope that Jay will get the help he needs.

    Reply

  • Duewest 10/01/13 Report this comment

    @Lochlann. You are spot on.

    Reply

  • Trevor Moore 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Why would someone contemplating suicide ring a radio station before doing it??? Publicity stunt by the individual and this matter should not be receiving anything like the publicity it is getting !!!

    Reply

    • Aidan Kelly 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Trevor how can you sit in judgement of this man? What are your credentials? Shame on you. This man may have been looking for attention but that is just a symptom of his mental illness. He needs help, not condemnation and dismissal.

    • Katrina Carroll 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Do you know him gary??, according to him himself last night the only drugs he takes are the ones for his illness… i dont know him but he sounded pretty genuine last night.. And who am i to judge him without knowing him.

  • Mark O'Connor 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I didn’t realise we had so may Mental health experts in Ireland, for those of you claiming ”You don’t call a radio station if you’re going to kill yourself”, how do you know what goes through the head of a person harbouring a mental illness?
    I don’t listen to the Phone Show, but I must commend Jeremy on his actions last night, he has brought a serious matter to the forefront, a matter which has too often been swept under the carpet in Irish society, matters like suicide and rape, deemed too scandalous to talk about in the open, so society has taught us it’s better to forget about it and not make anybody uncomfortable with such a taboo topic of conversation.
    I hope this young man gets the help he so desperately needs and I hope others who may feel like they are suffering through mental illness, after hearing this on the airwaves last night can pick up a telephone and call one of the help lines listed at the bottom of the article.
    I know people who have suffered through mental illness and ultimately the best cure is to talk to someone who you know will listen to you.

    Reply

    • Aidan Kelly 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Mark, I am in complete agreement – people need to wake up and get a better understanding of mental illness and how it presents. We sweep things like this under the carpet all the time and are too embarrassed to talk about it. I think that is so wrong.

  • Ciarán Delaney 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Absolutely shameful that that was broadcast, ‘Not possible for it to happen off air’, unbelievable comment. I hope the gentleman is ok and gets the help he needs but FM104 should be ashamed.

    If that was my friend or family member, the last thing I would ever want would be for the whole city to see listening to potentially the last few minutes of his life. Hats off to the DJ but very poorly handed by FM104

    Reply

    • Noddy Mooney 10/01/13 Report this comment

      What if the guy had a radio with him, and he knew he had been taken off air? What would that have done to his frame of mind? Regardless of his mental state, in his own mind he wanted to be on air. I agree it would have been “possible” for it to be taken off, but it was a tough call for FM104 to make in an instant so the shouldn’t be ashamed.

    • reds 10/01/13 Report this comment

      How would you feel if you were the suicidal person and wanted to highlight this to the country, and you were cut off by the DJ?

      This man has been turned away from too many people!

    • Ciarán Delaney 10/01/13 Report this comment

      Do you honestly think that if he was serious about taking his own life that he would a) ring a phoneshow and b) bring a portable radio to ensure he wasn’t cut off?

      What if he then takes his own life with thousands of impressionable teenagers listening? FM104 couldn’t be held responsible for the gentleman taking his life, they can be responsible for broadcasting a live suicide attempt around the city.

    • reds 10/01/13 Report this comment

      @ciaran- so you’re saying he wasn’t actually intending on taking his life, but the station should be ashamed for airing someone that was going to take their life?

      Regardless of his intentions, this man is crying out for help and highlighting the ongoing ignorance of suicide in this country. From someone that has been closely affected by suicide more than once, I wish my brother had been brave enough to try get help and highlight it to the whole country if he was being pushed away from the people who should be helping him!!!

    • Ciarán Delaney 10/01/13 Report this comment

      I understand your point about a cry for help and I’m wrong for saying that he had no intentions of doing it.

      I’ve been affected by suicide myself and understand the ignorance this country has towards it but I don’t believe that broadcasting a desperate man standing on a bridge is the right thing to do. By all means the DJ was brilliant in keeping the dialogue with him and should be commended for that.

    • reds 10/01/13 Report this comment

      @cuaran- well maybe if you heard his previous call to them about 6 months ago, you would know the background story and understand why he called them and why it would have been inappropriate to cut him off.

    • Lucille Ball 11/01/13 Report this comment

      @ Reds.. hit the nail on the head there .. If the man wanted it broadcast then the station did the correct thing.. I hope half the ministers were listening and realise what a shit the country is in and how the mental health system for people in this country is gone to hell..

    • Brian O'Grady 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Why is everyone saying the call should have been taken off the air. There is nothing to be ashamed about here, and we are all discussing it this morning which is a good thing. I say fair play to the station for airing the call and to the dj for talking to and helping jay when he felt he could not talk to anyone else.

  • Sean Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

    This is the 4th time he has done this charade on that bridge alone. The presenter didnt save his life because it was a cry wolf situation. I dont mean to be harsh but unfortunately he will continue to do the same thing over and over. FM104 phone show is embarrassing. I for one will make a complaint to the relevant agency.

    must be something about the name Jeremy as he is akin to Jeremy Kyle. Profit on other peoples misery.

    Reply

    • Gareth Walker-Ayers 11/01/13 Report this comment

      The presenter wasn’t to know that it was his fourth time.

      What’s your complaint going to be? “A man threatening to kill himself phoned in to speak to FM104 and they actually tried to help him, so I want them shut down!”

      You’d be complaining if the poor man had spoken to them, got cut off, then killed himself, so get back in your cave, troll!

  • Shane Mc Donnell 11/01/13 Report this comment

    This was a complete cry for help! You don’t ring a radio station when your about to commit suucide

    Reply

  • David Moore 11/01/13 Report this comment

    FM 104 milked this tragedy for audience figures. They are clearly unequipped to deal with this serious situation. They should screen their calls and be more professional. SHAME ON THEM

    Reply

  • Seán O' Sullivan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Caught a bit of this before the online feed got cut. Bit mishandled to be honest, should have called the guards and family and stopped the broadcast quicker. Could have got very serious and it would have happened on air

    Reply

  • Lavinia Quinn 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Most suicides are a cry for help but without help that is needed they act upon this the fact people are sayin he wudnt of done it how do u know suicides happens as.attempts and 1 day happens people shud think of how any of us can feel like this attempt this.and do this anyone can feel low develop mental health issue we should be reaching out for more help not suggest it wouldnt happen it could be any ofus up der seeking help that is not offered attituddes of sum people stink

    Reply

  • Shaunagh Ginty 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Hope the guy gets help. Someone posted a picture of it on twitter, completely sick. There really was no need to broadcast it, cheap shot at getting publicity. Mental health is not something money is to be made from

    Reply

  • mart_n 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Ugh… why are people overlooking the fact that the presenter isn’t the only person responsible for allowing it to go out? Producers could have easily decided to take it off air and allow the presenter speak with the person off-air.

    I’m amazed that some people are defending the conscious decision that was obviously made to allow it go out as part of the program. The fact that they don’t seem to have a protocol for dealing with such calls is reason enough for criticism.

    Reply

  • Joe O Hanlon 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Come on all the negative people.. Get a grip a human being’s life is at risk.. Just imagine if it was a family or friend of yours was in the same predicament ? Please have respect for his family .. May god guide him to full health & safety..

    Reply

  • Keith McNair 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I wonder how many children were / are listening to the station at the time? Should kids hear this?

    Reply

  • Stephen Wilkie 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Really hope Jay pulls through. Fm104 did the right thing and the young lad is still with us, if fm104 didn’t take the call we would have another very sad statistic on our hands. Chin up Jay its a tough road ahead but the right road to take.

    Reply

  • Ciaran Dillon 10/01/13 Report this comment

    That show is enough to make anyone want to jump off a bridge. Fortunately I’ve always found changing the channel to be the easier option.

    Reply

  • Aidan Kelly 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I dont know the legal guidelines for this type of situation. However, shame on anyone condemning that radio station. The talk had to be aired live to stop the man from taking his life. I do not know the man but how can anyone judge him? Mental illness is so misunderstood and unless you have suffered from mental illness, it will be so difficult to understand the complete hopelessness of your life/your situation. The station did what it could under the circumstances and I think it is highly unlikely it was using this as a cynical ratings ploy. This man needs help and I hope he needs help. I hope he wants help and I hope he fully engages with the help that he needs to get.

    Reply

  • Holly Go Lightly 10/01/13 Report this comment

    I wouldn’t fancy being the poor unfortunate driving down the N 11 whose car he landed on.

    Reply

  • Sinead Gleeson 10/01/13 Report this comment

    A new low in broadcasting. There was no reason to broadcast that. The poor man needed help not further exposure. FM 104 are a disgrace.

    Reply

    • reds 10/01/13 Report this comment

      They didn’t phone him! He phoned them and if a radio station was his first point of call, it says a lot about the treatment he has received from the health system in this country.

      Raise suicide awareness! Stop sweeping it under the carpet

    • Gavin McGuinness 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Its easy for you to sit there behind your computer screen and type a comment like that, but when you are in Jeremy’s position having a gentleman calling in standing on the side of the bridge wanting his voice to be aired, you are going to do just that.

    • Elvedin Velic 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Put yourself in Jeremys shoes… say you end the call or take it off air and the man finds out and jumps… you would never be able to live that down an you’d do your best to help to try and prevent that from happening

  • Mark O'Connor 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I didn’t realise we had so may Mental health experts in Ireland, for those of you claiming ”You don’t call a radio station if you’re going to kill yourself”, how do you know what goes through the head of a person harbouring a mental illness?
    I don’t listen to the Phone Show, but I must commend Jeremy on his actions last night, he has brought a serious matter to the forefront, a matter which has too often been swept under the carpet in Irish society, matters like suicide and rape, deemed too scandalous to talk about in the open, so society has taught us it’s better to forget about it and not make anybody uncomfortable with such a taboo topic of conversation.
    I hope this young man gets the help he so desperately needs and I hope others who may feel like they are suffering through mental illness, after hearing this on the airwaves last night can pick up a telephone and call one of the help lines listed at the bottom of the article.
    I know people who have suffered through mental illness and ultimately the best cure is to talk to someone who you know will listen to you.

    Reply

    • Roisin McLoughlin 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Theres not many topics that are deemed too scandalous to be discussed on the Phone Show. You’re right that people need to discuss suicide and mental health issues openly but there are other ways. That man was in a very vulnerable place.

  • Mark Pender 10/01/13 Report this comment

    Really didnt need to air it shame onfm104

    Reply

  • Orly 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Are there any updates? I’m concerned.

    Reply

  • Stuart Hyland 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Are comments been deleted/taken down

    Reply

  • Sinead O Meara Behan 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Is jay okay has anyone heard

    Reply

  • reds 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Exactly!

    And the same reason that a terminally ill woman’s pain and suffering are being prolonged rather than letting her have a dignified death when the result is inevitable.

    Reply

  • Éamonn Ó Nualláin 10/01/13 Report this comment

    What if this poor gentleman had jumped live on air. It brings back memories of that nurse in the UK and the Australian radio station. It is a disgrace that this was broadcast. I tried logging a complaint with fm104 but their complaints page has error404 on it

    Reply

    • Joe OShea 10/01/13 Report this comment

      It’s the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland that you log it with.
      http://www.bai.ie

    • Shane Mc Donnell 10/01/13 Report this comment

      Don’t start with that nurse! That WAS not the Aussie radio stations fault

    • Éamonn Ó Nualláin 10/01/13 Report this comment

      They directed me to log the complaint with the broadcaster directly first and if I was not happy with their reply I could then contact the BAI

    • Éamonn Ó Nualláin 10/01/13 Report this comment

      I agree that it was not the radio station’s fault but it is a bit too fresh in our memories and if this gentleman had jumped I’m sure fm104 wold be getting the blame for it. They need to be careful with hat they are broadcasting

    • Shane Mc Donnell 10/01/13 Report this comment

      It was hard on the presenter! You try been put on the spot like that

    • reds 10/01/13 Report this comment

      This man was suicidal and wanted his voice to be heard, after going unnoticed by the ignorant people and atrocious health service.

      Why do you think he doesn’t deserve to be heard?

    • lisa o riordan 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Hold on now reds. Ignorant people and atrocious health service? Bit if a generalised comment there. I’m a psych nurse and I go over and beyond every single day that I work! I’m sure that if the many presented to any service tonight he would not be turned away. So in all honesty there was no reason to ring a radio station while standing on a bridge. As mentioned earlier that can be triggering. Suicide can often occur in clusters so broadcasting it might not have been a great idea. But I understand the DJ doing what he thought best. But the health service does its best at front line level and I find it extremely insulting and disrespectful what you said.

    • Jimbo Murphy 11/01/13 Report this comment

      Typical public sector response. Nobody is attacking you or your colleagues directly. When a country the size of Ireland has 600-800 suicides a year there clearly is a problem with mental health services.

      While individual nurses and doctors are often fantastic, the resources aren’t there to provide help for everybody that needs it. I have family and friends who work in this sector and they always tell me that they are overworked and their resources are stretched too thin.

      So, yes, the mental health services in Ireland are awful!

    • reds 11/01/13 Report this comment

      @lisa- I’m not talking about individual nurses or people.

      Stevie Wonder could see the state of the health system here, so continue doing your job to the best of your ability, but you alone can’t change the fact that there is not enough help for mental illness in this country.

  • DeadBelly 11/01/13 Report this comment

    I haven’t seen any comments complaining about nice comments being red thumd yet so here I go.

    who would red thumb my really nice comment?! the world is sick.

    article is now complete, don’t mention it.

    Reply

  • Dr.fury 11/01/13 Report this comment

    What a heartless gutless comment,shame on you

    Reply

  • Peter O Foyle 11/01/13 Report this comment

    Gud job its d weekendcr traffic would b n a heap

    Reply

  • Brian Horgan 10/01/13 Report this comment

    People were on here earlier asking for assisted suicide. Yet are shocked at this.

    Reply

  • john cooling 11/01/13 Report this comment

    #prayforjay

    Reply

  • am z 12/01/13 Report this comment

    The last thing a genuinely suicidal person would do is ring a radio station.
    And even if he had jumped, what kind of a thing is that to be broadcasting to impressionable teenagers. I know my 2 used listen to it on the sly in their room from 2ndry school age on even though it was ‘on a ban’.
    Total gutter journalism at its worst.

    Reply

  • Annie Anglim 11/01/13 Report this comment

    so many comments focus on should people be hearing a suicidal mans cry for help or how his family might feel hearing his potential last words or one person even imagined how a driver would feel if his body hit their car. if he was my son or my friend and I heard this on the radio I would be delighted to be given a chance to intervene.where have.peoples humanity gone? clearly the most distressed person in this situation was the man ready to take his own life. we need to give up our attitudes to mental health problems. I bet tonnes of suicidal people are afraid to turn to their friends in Ireland.

    Reply

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