Therapist Coaxes Youth Down From Bridge Over Street

Psychologist Patrick Callahan insists he’s no hero.

Callahan was on his way to South Coast Plaza Friday evening when he happened upon a 17-year-old who was threatening to commit suicide atop a 30-foot pedestrian bridge that spans Bristol Street, police said. The psychologist helped coax the teen-ager down, and police credited Callahan with preventing a tragedy.

“How could you not help when a person could potentially end their life? I’m in this business to help people,” said Callahan, an educational psychologist and family therapist in private practice in Placentia. “I’ve been trained in crisis intervention, so it’s something I’ve done before.”

When it was all over, about 30 minutes later, Callahan continued along to South Coast Plaza. “I do have to say it made me feel good, no doubt about it,” he said in an interview Saturday.

The psychologist declined to discuss details of the rescue, because of the youth’s age and reasons of confidentiality.

Police said Callahan and another man were walking on the footbridge Friday when they spotted the clearly troubled youth, who was threatening to jump to his death. Callahan began speaking to the teen-ager while the other man went to call police, officials said.

Police said the youth would have likely been killed had he jumped from the bridge into oncoming traffic. Upon their arrival, police shut down traffic in both directions. Callahan succeeded in helping talk the youth back from the edge, and the teen has been placed in a psychiatric unit for a 72-hour evaluation, Costa Mesa Police Lt. Alan Kent said.

“We were able to avoid a very serious tragedy, and we are very much appreciative of his efforts,” Kent said. “We could have easily had a suicide.”

Callahan said he did not hesitate to help the youth, who he described as intelligent and articulate. He identified the man with him as his colleague, David James.

Callahan said suicidal tendencies seem to reach a pitch around the holidays, when problems with relationships and families seem to be magnified.

“Generally speaking, many people who are thinking about ending it are looking for someone to show them that someone cares about them,” he said, adding that every situation must be handled differently, and all have the potential to end in tragedy. “Thankfully, this particular person did respond. It doesn’t always happen like that.”