All the way in Minnesota, it took 22 minutes in total for a 911 dispatcher to save a life. The Minnesota State Patrol radio communications director known as Marty O'Herir has been able to help with all different types of highway emergencies stretching the last 14 years.
Apparently, the call that Marty O'Heriri picked up at 911 on April 16 would be the toughest call of his entire career.
The suicidal phone call
The caller engaged in telling O'Herir about what was going on at his end and said that he was going over 100 miles an hour on the I-94 over in Minneapolis and wanted do dearly end his life through either crashing into something or an encounter with law enforcement.
O'Herir had the job of keeping the man on the line while he directed a certain state trooper to the location of the caller, while other dispatchers at the 911 were trying to learn as much as they could about the driver.
According to O'Herir, the driver seemed like he was very much confident in his plan and that O'Herir had to do everything in his power in order to stop the driver. At a certain point, the man on the phone told O'Herir that he was going to drive all the way to Duluth, where O'Herir comes from as well.
O'Herir said in an emotional statement that "If you want to go to Duluth, I will ride with you. I am not letting you go." After 22 stressful and long minutes, the caller finally pulled over and opted not to end his life and the exhausted 911 dispatcher was finally able to hang up the call.
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The tired O'Herir
According to O'Herir, it was strange but much appreciated when the call ended and the entire room ended up applauding. O'Heir then simply disconnected, took off his headset, and said that he needed a break.
After a few days of that call, the caller actually left a message specifically for O'Herir thanking him and the state trooper for being the ones to save his life. O'Herir has said that he does not want a temporary and fleeting decision to become a permanent solution to otherwise just a temporary problem.
O'Herir even told the man "I told him I can mend a broken heart, but I can't fix a dead body." Marty O'Herir wants to share this story in order for people to know that it is okay to ask for help whenever they are feeling overwhelmed.
O'Herir is passionate about suicide prevention and aims to stop people from taking their own lives. His work with the 911, although not revolving directly around suicide prevention, has helped a driver think twice about taking his own life after 22 minutes on the phone. The driver is thankful for the 22 minutes that Marty O'Herir gave to save his life.
