A Hero Who is Honestly Pro-Life - The Independent
independent.co.uk
In an age where fundamental religions pose as being “pro-life” while opposing condom use that will save lives in third world countries, this tale of someone who is truly Pro Life is highly refreshing.
In nearly 50 years Don Ritchie, 84, has saved at least 160 people at The Gap, a rocky cliff at the entrance to Sydney Harbour - and he is still on suicide watch.
Lost souls who stood atop the cliff, wondering whether to jump, say their salvation was a soft voice breaking the sound of the wind and the waves, asking: “Why don’t you come and have a cup of tea?”
And when they turned to the stranger, they say his smile made them want to live.
Mr Ritchie, who lives across the street from The Gap, is widely regarded as a guardian angel who has shepherded countless people away from the edge.
What some consider grim, Mr Ritchie considers a gift.
“You can’t just sit there and watch them,” he said, perched on his beloved green leather chair, from which he keeps a watchful eye on the cliff outside.
“You gotta try and save them. It’s pretty simple.”