Hero lorry driver stops M1 traffic to save life of man dangling off bridge

A lorry driver has been praised as a "hero" after stopping traffic on the M1 to save the life of a man hanging off a bridge. Dan Shillito was driving underneath a bridge by the J29 carriageway, near Chesterfield, at around 7pm on Saturday (September 6) when he spotted the man in the troubling situation [1]. In a clip shared to millions on social media, police [2] officers can be seen closing off the road in an attempt to help the man in the life-threatening situation.

However, upon noticing the man and seeing information boards declaring an incident on the motorway, Mr Shillito abruptly parked his Samskip truck underneath the bridge after asking a police officer for permission [3]. The lorry driver got out of his vehicle and climbed on top of it before holding the man's weight and supporting him on his shoulders. After helping him come down from the bridge, Dan waited with the man until help arrived, and it is understood the man survived - thanks in part to the lorry driver's heroic actions [4].

The 34-year-old from Hull has been praised as an "absolute hero," but the married dad-of-two said he only did "what anyone else would do". "I just shouted out to the traffic officer to ask if he wanted me to pull my truck underneath the bridge to stop the man from falling on the ground," he told the Daily Mail. "I was quite focused on just doing what I needed to do.

I wasn't panicking, I just saw what I could do to help, and did it all in the moment. It was only afterwards once everything had been done and I drove away that it sort of hit me. I felt this adrenaline."

Derbyshire police [5] confirmed no one had been hurt and said: "We received a call concerning the welfare of a man on a bridge close to junction 29 of the M1 at about 6.30pm on Saturday 6 September. "Officers were deployed to the scene and the man was led to safety with the help of a member of the public. No one was injured and the man was taken to hospital to be checked over.

A stretch of the motorway was closed while emergency services dealt with the incident and was later reopened."

Where to get help if you're struggling

You don't have to suffer in silence if you're struggling with your mental health, or just need to talk. Here are some groups you can contact when you need help. Samaritans [6]: Phone 116 123, 24 hours a day, text SHOUT to 85258 or email [email protected][7], in confidence

Childline [8]: Phone 0800 1111. Calls are free and won't show up on your bill. MIND:[9] Phone 0300 123 3393 for information about how to access mental health support.

You can also email [email protected]. PAPYRUS [10]: A voluntary organisation supporting suicidal teens and young adults. Phone 0800 068 4141

Depression Alliance [11]: A charity for people with depression. No helpline but offers useful resources and links to other information Students Against Depression: A website for students who are depressed, have low mood, or are suicidal. Click here to visit [12]

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): For young men who are feeling unhappy. Has a website [13] and a helpline: 0800 58 58 58

NHS: For information on your local NHS urgent mental health helpline, visit here [14].

References

^ when he spotted the man in the troubling situation (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ police (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ bridge after asking a police officer for permission (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ thanks in part to the lorry driver's heroic actions (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ Derbyshire police (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ Samaritans (www.samaritans.org)
^ [email protected] (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
^ Childline (www.childline.org.uk)
^ MIND: (www.mind.org.uk)
^ PAPYRUS (www.papyrus-uk.org)
^ Depression Alliance (www.depressionalliance.org)
^ Click here to visit (www.studentsagainstdepression.org)
^ Has a website (www.thecalmzone.net)
^ here (www.nhs.uk)