Teenager Attempts to Jump from 24-Story Apartment
Police Deploy Two Crisis Negotiation Specialists
The police rescued a teenage boy who was about to jump off the rooftop of a high-rise apartment in Seoul after more than two hours of conversation.
According to Yonhap News on the 16th, a report was received by the police around 8:30 p.m. the previous day stating that "(an acquaintance) said he would jump off the rooftop of an apartment in Gangnam."
The police searched 15 apartment buildings in the area where A's mobile phone signal was detected and found A on the rooftop railing of the 24th floor of an apartment in Seocho-gu. However, at that time, A was sitting on the edge of a narrow space, making it difficult to approach.
A crisis negotiation specialist talking with Mr. A on the night of the 15th for rescue. [Image provided by Seocho Police Station]
Accordingly, the police immediately deployed two crisis negotiation specialists specialized in responding to suicide attempts to persuade him. They initiated conversation with A by talking about his favorite foods and encouraged him to use terms like 'noona' (older sister) and 'hyung' (older brother) to build emotional intimacy. Although A initially showed resistance, he gradually participated in the conversation and began to open up.
Whenever A looked downward, the officers said, "○○, noona needs to see you. Noona is here," to divert his attention, and comforted him with phrases like "Noona wants to talk to you face to face."
The conversation continued until 11 p.m., when A said, "My phone battery is dead," and requested a portable charger. The specialist said, "I'll give it to you, but please come a little closer." When asked, "Can I come over to talk face to face?" A replied, "No, it's dangerous."
Eventually, as A said he would "come over by himself" and moved inside the railing, the officer said, "Thank you, noona is here," and reached out through the gap. They successfully rescued A by grabbing his hand and guiding him.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Seocho Police Station has been selecting and operating crisis negotiation specialists specialized in suicide attempters nationwide for the first time since April this year. A Seocho Police official emphasized, "We selected the nation's first 'crisis negotiation specialists' specialized in suicide attempters and deployed them to the field since last month," adding, "This case highlights the remarkable performance of the specialists."
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