An unlikely friendship has emerged between a man who tried to kill himself by jumping from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the heroic policeman who saved his life in 2014.
Dan Price admitted that he was just ‘seconds away’ from jumping when a security guard spotted him walking ‘heel-to-toe’ along a thin piece of railing on the outside of a safety fence.
Of all the emergency services personnel dispatched to the incident, Constable Arun Trevitt was the one who was able to get through to Mr Price, and held onto him through the fence for more than half an hour.
Constable Arun Trevitt (left) prevented Dan Price from committing suicide in December 2014
Dan Price is now a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention
But two minutes of talking with Constable Trevitt convinced the young man he was making a mistake, and he allowed himself to be rescued and taken to St Vincent’s Hospital.
Constable Trevitt recalled that Mr Price had been driven to the brink of suicide by a relationship breakdown, and told the Daily Telegraph that he was able to identify with the struggle as he too was divorced.
‘I said ‘but there is nothing here that we can’t fix or get you help for and we really want you to come back over,’ Constable Trevitt said, which resonated with Mr Price as it made him feel as though the officer ‘had his back’.
Mr Price, who is now a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, said that he didn’t think that supportive feeling existed.
‘You think you’re alone and no one cares,’ he said, remembering that he had felt compelled to hide his shame, depression and suicidal thoughts from his family.
But Constable Trevitt approached him ‘with compassion and without judgement’, he said, which saved his life that morning.
Dan Price credits Constable Trevitt for helping him realise that he had many things to live for
The two met again face to face for the first time since the morning on the Harbour Bridge in back in December 2016.
‘It was a very special moment. I got to experience meeting the person that save my life,’ Mr Price said.
It prompted him to post a tribute to the police officers who brought him back from the brink and forced him to confront the depression and anxiety that pushed him to contemplate suicide.
Dan Price has completely turned his life around since he attempted to commit suicide in 2014
But in 2017, the tables turned. Mr Price was able to repay Constable Trevitt by helping him through the ‘trauma’ he suffered a after pulling the the sole survivor of a fatal high-speed car crash in Haymarket.
Constable Trevitt told the Daily Telegraph on Sunday that the outcome of the crash ‘weighed heavily’ on him, and that Mr Price is helping him process the trauma.
‘I don’t see myself as any better than any other police officer that goes out every day to just have a crack to try and make a difference,’ he told the publication.
Constable Trevitt was ‘traumatised’ after he pulled the sole survivor out of a fatal car crash
Constable Arun Trevitt (left) and Dan Price enjoy a beer together in Manly on November 3
In December 2014, as he was being rushed into the emergency room, Mr Price made the policeman a promise that one day he would buy him a drink to thank him for saving his life.
He spent three weeks in hospital following his close call, and worked with doctors to create a plan of therapy and medication to help him tackle his mental illness.
And finally on November 3, 2017, Constable Trevitt finally enjoyed a beer with Mr Price at Manly’s Hotel Steyne.
Almost three years later, the sight of the Harbour Bridge fills Dan Price with ‘so much gratitude’
Mr Price documents their meetings on Instagram, writing, ‘I’ve tried many times to put into words the immense amount of gratitude and admiration I feel so deeply for this incredible man.
‘Arun Trevitt, the heroic police officer who spent 20 minutes talking to me through the safety fence of the Harbour Bridge that fateful morning nearly 3 years ago.
‘We are now the very best of mates; a friendship founded upon a miracle, and I thank the universe for placing Arun on my path at 5am on the 4th of December 2014.
‘The empathy, compassion, support and understanding he showed for me that morning without any judgement, saved my life… Always great catching up.’