CAL Fire/Riverside Country firefighter stops man from committing suicide

A CAL Fire frefighter is being recognized for stopping a man from committing suicide Friday afternoon.

Hector Barragan noticed a man near the 60 freeway near Orange Street Bridge in Riverside.

Barragan called 911 and engaged the man attempting to kill himself.

Barragan was able to successfully talk the man out of it.

CAL Fire and Riverside County Fire Chief John Hawkins said, “Firefighter Barragan is to be highly commended for his actions without direction of a supervisor, his successful conversational engagement building trust with the distraught man and the result of the man abandoning his attempt at suicide. I am very proud of Firefighter Hector Barragan. He truly practiced servant leadership and saved a man’s life.”

California Highway Patrol took the man into custody and he was evaluated at a nearby hospital.