WITH January now recognized as a time when many people become depressed after the Christmas holiday, a voluntary group that patrols the River Shannon to prevent people taking their own lives have urged those experiencing depression not to suffer in silence.
The Corbett Suicide Prevention Patrol (CSPP) also revealed that the numbers they encountered in distress along the riverbank this Christmas were down significantly in comparison to the same timeframe in 2012.
In one incident over the Christmas period, a city taxi driver came to the rescue of a young woman who went into the river near the Shannon Bridge by throwing her a lifebuoy. The driver’s quick action saved the woman’s life.
The CSPP patrolled the River Shannon nightly from Christmas Eve to New Year‘s Day. However, the group had to cancel their patrol on St Stephen‘s Night due to stormy weather conditions.
Paul Hogan of the voluntary group commented, “We only came across around six people at the river over Christmas and only one of those was suicidal. The rest were were feeling low or depressed.
“The previous Christmas the numbers were in double figures so we are very happy about this. It was very quiet overall.”
“Having said that, we are fully aware that January is a time when people get depressed once reality sinks back in and they are faced with credit card bills. We won’t be slacking off on our patrols and we would urge anyone feeling low after Christmas to go talk to someone. There is more support groups and counselling services out there than ever before and it’s okay not to be okay,” said Mr Hogan.
Anyone interested in in the work of the volunteers can follow them on the CSPP facebook site.
