TalkRadio host Iain Lee saves suicidal caller
Presenter kept overdosing man on line until emergency services found him
Radio host Iain Lee has been praised for helping to save the life of a suicidal man by keeping him on the phone live on air for 30 minutes so that emergency services could track him down.
The drama began when the man, whom The Guardian describes as “incoherent and slurring his words”, called into the talkRadio Late Night Alternative show on Wednesday. He told Lee he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and was lying in the street near a nightclub in Plymouth after taking a potentially lethal cocktail of drugs.
As Lee’s producer rushed to contact the emergency services, the former I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! contestant comforted the caller, who gave his name as Chris, The Times reports.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The man told the comedian that he “wanted to die”, to which Lee responded: “Shut up, man... I love you. You may want to die, but we can talk about that tomorrow.”
He continued: “Chris, I love you brother. You deserve better than this, right? Whatever has happened I promise you it can be sorted. I guarantee that whatever has happened it can be sorted out. It might not be easy, it might be painful, but it’s better than you doing this.”
The caller, who said he was 59 years old, fell silent for long stretches of the conversation, leading Lee to fear he had become unconscious.
After hearing mumbling on the line, Lee said: “Chris, you’re still alive! Thank Christ. Yes, brother. The whole country is punching the air. We lost you for about ten minutes, man.”
The late-night host helped work out where the caller was by asking him a series of questions, enabling police to identify the man’s location within around 30 minutes so that an ambulance could be sent there.
Tweeting after the incident, Lee said: “Tonight we took a call from a man who had taken an overdose. He was lying in a street in Plymouth, dying.
“We managed to keep him online, get a description of what he looked like and was wearing, work out where he was and send an ambulance and police to him.
“Kept him on the phone for 30 minutes while he got harder to understand. Long periods of silence where I thought he had died. F***, that was intense and upsetting.
“Thanks for your kind words. I really hope he makes it.”
Lee has been open about his own mental health struggles in the past, saying he suffered from suicidal thoughts while coming off antidepressants.
Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed late on Wednesday that the caller was alive and had been taken to Derriford Hospital Emergency Department for further treatment.
Inspector Kevin Morley tweeted to thank Lee for his help. Morley added: “This is a very typical call for us sadly and December is a hard month for many.
“We will do our best to direct him to long-term support. We all have a role to play in supporting those that are struggling.”
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Xi comes to Europe: what's on the agenda?
The Explainer China's president visits for first time since 2019, with spotlight on support for Russia over Ukraine and trade tensions with EU
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The laws of finding – and keeping – treasure in Britain
In the Spotlight Amateur archaeology is on the rise but flouting the laws can land you in prison
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Properties of the week: houses with enchanting gardens
The Week Recommends Featuring pretty homes in Hampshire, Devon and West Sussex
By The Week UK Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The hollow classroom
Opinion Remote school let kids down. It will take much more than extra tutoring for kids to recover.
By Mark Gimein Published
-
What's behind rise in duo euthanasia?
Under The Radar The 'saddest deaths of all' have stirred controversy in the Netherlands
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The dangerous search for bodies in the River Thames
The Explainer Retrieving corpses is difficult due to 'massive' tidal range and fast current of deep, dark water
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How helpful are mental health apps?
Under the radar Market is booming, offering accessibility and affordability, but many apps are unregulated and share sensitive user data
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How the transmission of Alzheimer's might be possible
The Explainer New research links dementia cases to injections of human growth hormone from deceased donors' brains
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Car fatality rates are driving up
The Explainer The dang Covid pandemic made us worse drivers
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
Under the radar Buenos Aires natives go hungry to pay for psychoanalysis, amid growing instability, anxiety – and societal acceptance
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published