Prior shrugs off heroic rescue of suicidal Briton
ENGLAND wicketkeeper Matt Prior yesterday played down talk of heroism after he and fellow cricket star Stuart Broad prevented a British man from committing suicide in Australia.
Prior, 31, grabbed the man as he appeared to prepare to jump from Sydney’s Pyrmont Bridge, before he and England team-mate Broad talked him round while they waited for police to arrive.
“We just did what anyone would do in that situation,” said Prior, who had been walking back to his hotel following a fundraising event held by England fans group the Barmy Army.
“We were trying to help a bloke who was struggling and in a bad way. I look back and I’m just glad we left the bar when we did and we were there for him.”
Broad, who unlike Prior is staying on in Australia following the 5-0 Ashes whitewash to play in the imminent one-day series, praised his colleague on Twitter. He wrote: “Matt Prior is a best friend of mine and I’m very proud of him. It was a tough situation but so glad he was there.”
England security officer Terry Minish helped Prior physically prevent the man from leaping to his death.
“He was saying he just wanted to drown,” Minish said of the man, who told them he was from Cheltenham.
“Matt helped to pull him down off the edge of the bridge and sat with him until the police arrived.”