PICS: Naked man, threatening to commit suicide, rescued from Virgin Active building in Pretoria
Pretoria - After hours of negotiations, a naked man who was hanging on top of a Virgin Active Building in Hatfield was convinced to abandon his mission and rescued by Tshwane Emergency Services Department firefighters.
On Sunday night, spokesperson for the Tshwane Emergency Services Department, Charles Mabaso, said the man, suspected to be under the influence of narcotics, was handed over to police when he eventually came down.
One of the Tshwane Emergency Services Department’s firefighters managed to dissuade the man from committing suicide on top of a Virgin Active building in Pretoria, said Mabaso.
“The man ultimately came down after 7pm and was handed over to the South African Police Service.”
“The scene has been ongoing from around 15:00. All emergency services resources have left the scene.”
Earlier, the Tshwane Emergency Services Department deployed resources including a fire engine and a ladder to facilitate the rescue mission.
Mabaso said the naked man had, for hours, been on top the Virgin Active Hatfield building’s roof, and threatening to stab himself with a broken bottle if anyone came close to him.
During the day, Mabaso said SAPS was also on the scene, and suicide negotiators were awaited.
Last month, the station commander of the Pretoria Central police station, Brigadier Moses Dladla, applauded the “bravery” of officers who intervened and saved the life of a man who was threatening to commit suicide“.
“This comes after a male aged 57 years threatened to take his life by jumping off a rooftop,” Pretoria Central police spokesperson, Constable Thabang Nkhumise, said.
“An emergency call was dispatched to the police. External role players, the Tshwane Emergency Rescue Services, were also called to the scene at Obaro shop, situated at the corner of Pretorius and Sophie De Bruyn streets, on Monday evening (January 2).”
The police reacted swiftly to the call, and upon arrival the officers spotted the distressed man on the rooftop, threatening to jump off.
The man sipped from his beer can as police officers and emergency workers negotiated with him.
“Fortunately, Detective Warrant Officer Lerothodi Moseki arrived at the scene, and he negotiated with the man. He managed to persuade him to get off the roof,” said Nkhumise.
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