HEROIC details of the dramatic rescue of a man suffering a mental health crisis who crossed safety barriers at a 100ft bridge have been given by those who fought so valiantly to save him.
The Aldsworth family were driving on the Newton Cap Viaduct in Bishop Auckland last night but stopped suddenly at around 5.30pm after spotting a distressed man scaling the barrier.
Paul Aldsworth, who had been watching his 19-year-old son, Oscar, play football for Crook Town FC, said he instinctively knew something was wrong.
Mr Aldsworth, 49, from Coundon, said: “He started climbing the railings and I said to my son: ‘He is going to jump’.
“I stopped my car and jumped out. My son jumped out with me.
“As we ran over to him, I was saying ‘don’t do it mate’.
“He turned around, I knew he was going to go, and I said to my son ‘grab him’.
“He grabbed one arm and I grabbed the other.
“We managed to pull him up and to get his arms on the top of the bridge.
“He was a big bloke and weighed a ton, but the adrenaline was pumping and we hung on him.”
Mr Aldsworth, a site manager for Northern Gas Networks, was also with his wife Kelly, who called the police to raise the alarm.
Meanwhile, traffic management officer Lee Gustard, 38, who is from Crook, was going home after work and also stopped to help after spotting the danger.
He said: “Out of the corner of my eye I saw the guy go over the railings.
“He as fully over. By the time I got there he was fully dangling. He did not have hold of the rail. We had hold of him.
“It felt like forever. It was probably about 20 minutes to half an hour.
“His full body weight was off the ledge and it was just us holding on to him.
“Because he was dangling, I stupidly climbed over the railings.
“I straddled the railings like a horse and was trying to get his legs to get him back on the ledge.”
Mr Gustard tried to get a belt around the man as well as a bungee strap around him to help stop him from falling.
He said: “We just had to keep hold of him. It was unreal.
“It was at chest height and it was pulling on your chest, on your arms, and we were struggling to breathe.
“But we could not let go because he would have fallen.
“Everyone was trying to hold on to whatever they could hold on to.
“Something just kicked in and we had to help.”
Police arrived on the scene and helped hold on to the man before firefighters arrived and put on working at height harnesses before crossing the barrier to get the man safely back across.
Read more: Man Rescued at Newton Cap Viaduct in Bishop Auckland
Group manager Ian Irving, of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service said: “They have undoubtedly saved him from very serious injury if not worse.”
Mr Aldsworth and Mr Gustard said they both wish the man well and hope he is getting any help he needs.
The incident has now reignited calls for enhanced safety measures on the viaduct, which dates back to 1857 and carries the A689 over the River Wear.
Mr Aldsworth: “Maybe they could have camera up that could be monitored or more railings to stop people climbing over.”
Last summer, Jordan Tomlinson started a petition for anti-suicide barriers after he rescued a young man who appeared ready to jump from the bridge.
He collected over 3,500 signatures, which was submitted to Durham County Council, and it followed a similar petition the year before which contained 6,000 names and was handed in to the authority.
Durham County Council said it works with partner organisations on a range of mental health and suicide prevention initiatives and would look at extra measures it could take.
Anyone in distress can contact the Samaritans at any time from any phone for free on 116 123.
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