00:00Oh my gosh!
00:10It was a selfless act, fueled only by the thought of saving a stranger's life
00:16and giving him the chance to see the value in having another day.
00:21On January 28th, around 4.15pm,
00:25the Southwest Regional Health Authority says a patient who was discharged at 2pm
00:30exited the ward and made his way to an unauthorized area
00:35and climbed to the rooftop of a building which adjoins the main structure
00:39of the San Fernando General Hospital.
00:42Medical attendant at the hospital, 55-year-old Peter Garcia,
00:47recalls hearing some commotion and on realizing what was happening,
00:51didn't think twice before intervening.
00:55When I stopped and looked across at where everybody were watching,
00:59you know, I saw the guy on the roof.
01:03So I left whatever I was doing and I went straight to him.
01:07I tried to talk to him,
01:10but all he wanted was just to end his life because he was fed up
01:15and he was doing a job.
01:16He didn't want food, he didn't want money.
01:18Mr. Garcia says the rescue took about 45 minutes to an hour,
01:24most of which was spent trying to talk the man down,
01:27but he realized a more hands-on approach was needed.
01:31My mind was just, God, I'm going to do this thing, hold me,
01:36because I can't lose it.
01:38And, you know, it was all about saving him,
01:42saving this person's life.
01:44It wasn't about anything else, just saving this person's life.
01:47Giving this person another chance, that's all it was about.
01:52He says in the past, he saved a man from potentially drowning
01:56at Manzanilla Beach
01:58and a woman who got into difficulty in water while hiking.
02:02He says he has no real training,
02:04but credits his background in the cadets, scouts and youth camp,
02:08coupled with daily conversations with patients in the hospital
02:11to have contributed to his inclination to always help others in need.
02:18Helping is normal.
02:20Anybody who knows me would tell you that.
02:23To help is normal.
02:25But this guy wanted to end his life.
02:28And that was important to me, more important than my life.
02:33Even though I was fighting.
02:34That I believe.
02:35The world needs lots of that.
02:37The world needs lots of love, more love,
02:39to be more cared, to be more understanding.
02:42This world needs that.
02:44It will be a better place.
02:46While speaking to TV6 outside the teaching hospital on Monday,
02:50he left suddenly to assist a group of elderly women crossing the road.
02:55Garcia, a father of four and grandfather of two, says,
02:59through his 30 years working at the hospital,
03:02one thing he knows for certain
03:04is that many people face incredible struggles
03:07that others do not realize.
03:10And it's important to always be kind
03:12and encourage those feeling helpless to reach out for help.
03:16Find someone to talk to.
03:20Because there are people out there who you could talk to.
03:23It could be a stranger.
03:24Most times it's a stranger.
03:26Find someone and talk to.
03:28Talk to God.
03:30If nobody want to listen, talk to God.
03:34He's a turn around kind of God.
03:35There is a chance once you see tomorrow,
03:40once you see the new day,
03:41there is an opportunity,
03:43a chance to live again.
03:47Nothing is wrong with starting over.
03:49Nothing is wrong with starting over from scratch.
03:52The SWRHA says Mr. Garcia was assisted
03:56by the security services personnel and other staff
04:00to secure and remove the patient that day.
04:03The patient, it says,
04:04was then conveyed to the hospital's emergency department
04:07for evaluation and then discharged.
04:11Mr. Garcia says he hopes wherever the man is,
04:14he's feeling better about his circumstances
04:17and that he knows his life matters.
04:20Cindy Raghubatika Singh, TV6 News.
Comments