Facebook message saves suicidal boy

[Sir Ollie]

I'm actually quite surprised when i heard this Facebook actually saved someones life so not all bad news for the social networking site!

A suicidal teenager from Oxford has been saved after a friend on the Facebook website living in America alerted police.
The 16-year-old boy had sent a private message to the girl in Maryland stating that he was going to kill himself.

The friend alerted her mother who contacted local police in America who, through the British Embassy in Washington DC, then raised the alarm with the Metropolitan Police. The Met then contacted Thames Valley Police in the early hours of Thursday.
Police staff searched electoral roll websites and found eight potential addresses for the teenager and dispatched officers to each one.

The boy was found alive but suffering from a drugs overdose and was taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford where he made a full recovery.
Oxfordshire police commander chief superintendent Brendan O'Dowda told the Oxford Mail newspaper: "When it did find its way to Thames Valley Police, it would have been quite easy for any number of people to decide there wasn't enough information.
"But due to the tenacity and professionalism of a number of people, we managed to pin down a number of addresses, then went through the painful and laborious process of visiting the addresses to find the lad.

"It took up time and effort but it was time and effort absolutely well spent."

Source - http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=15727821&ocid=today

 

[EeveeElectro]

If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't tell anyone beforehand, but that's just me.

 

[Sib]

Well, that's amusing. I think they were doing it wrong. Aren't people supposed to be persuaded to commit suicide on the interwebs?

Yeah. That was probably bad taste, but I still stand by it.

That's not bad taste, it's perfectly true. Now go kill yourself

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

I thought this'd be a "No, don't do it" comment on their page. But that's actually pretty cool. Good job to all the Police forces involved for their effort.

If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't tell anyone beforehand, but that's just me.

You'd also want to cause as little disruption as possible no?
If so then that's scarily similar to my thoughts.

 

[Sparrow]

Well, that girl deserves something out of this.

At least some monies.

 

[Booze Zombie]

An upbeat story about cooperation in saving a human life? Well fuck me sideways.

 

[Cpt_Oblivious]

Well, that girl deserves something out of this.

At least some monies.

Cookie for her.

 

[Ranis]

hmm I couldn't say i would have done the same in that girl's shoes
looks like social networking is good for something other than helping pedophiles

 

[Pumpkin_Eater]

Well, that girl deserves something out of this.

At least some monies.

If it had happened on the Escapist they could have given her a special badge for it.

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

If I was going to kill myself, I wouldn't tell anyone beforehand, but that's just me.

But that joyful look on your face the week of it would tell everyone something is about to go down.

 

[Sir Ollie]

Well, that girl deserves something out of this.

At least some monies.

If it had happened on the Escapist they could have given her a special badge for it.

No doubt the thanks badge

 

[Fightgarr]

Generally when people tell another person they're about to commit suicide its because they're seeking attention, not because they want to end their own life. Arguably this kid was ODing on drugs when they found him but still, it seems more like a cry for attention than a case of overbearing depression.

 

[MrSnugglesworth]

A friend of mine wanted to kill himself. 2 months of rehab, and he still wanted to kill himself for all different reasons. (Most of which being rehab)

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

An upbeat story about cooperation in saving a human life? Well fuck me sideways.

I know, right? It's a rare find these days.

 

[3rd rung]

An upbeat story about cooperation in saving a human life? Well fuck me sideways.

I know, right. It's a rare find these days.

Yea sadly is true may peopel jsut don't care aobut other peopel as much these days, but I do have to say there are a lot of threads started by people who are depressed on this site and people do generally try to write helpful things to these people which I think is good

 

[JokerGrin]

Hmm I'm in Oxfordshire. This is pretty close to home. Good to see a nice result for a change. Too many teenage suicides, look at Bridgend in Wales.

 

[garfoldsomeoneelse]

She clearly must be new to the interwebs. The correct thing to do was send a reply saying "DO IT FGT".

 

[atol]

I can't wait for the journalists to cover the story of the boy succeeding on his second attempt. Nah, I'm kidding. The journalists would never do that.