Tragedy was averted in Lagos on Tuesday after a 33-year-old man who jumped into the lagoon from the Third Mainland Bridge was rescued.

The victim who was identified simply as Olu, was said to have driven his silver Lexus SUV and parked it at the Yaba axis of the bridge before jumping into the lagoon.

Fortunately, he was spotted and the Yaba Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Adegbemi Isiaka, was alerted. The DPO, it was gathered, mobilised a nearby fisherman for his rescue and ensured he was immediately moved to the hospital for treatment.

Sources revealed that the victim, a resident in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, drove to Lagos that day just to commit suicide.

He was said to have incurred losses in his Crypto investment which made him wanting to commit suicide and the only thing he thought about was a dive into the lagoon.

“He drove to Lagos from Ibadan just to jump from the Third Mainland Bridge. His father stays in the UK and his mother in Ibadan. He is the first of two children.

“He said he lost money in his investment and could not handle it. Fortunately, at the time he jumped, he was spotted immediately and the DPO had to pay the fisherman a token to assist in rescuing him," an eyewitness told journalists.

The spokesperson for the Lagos Police Command, SP Abimbola Adebisi, who confirmed the incident, said the victim has been discharged from the hospital and released to his mother and other relatives who rushed to Lagos when they were contacted.

Adebisi said his family promised to take him to a rehabilitation centre, adding that he was made to understand that attempted suicide was a crime and he should never try it again.

The incident was brought to light after businessman, Isaac Fayose shared a video with the caption “Please, check on your family and friends. This just happened today. Who knows what went wrong.”

In the video which went viral, a man could be heard saying he saw when Olu parked his vehicle, left his phones inside before jumping into the lagoon.

The man said he quickly rushed to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority’s (LASTMA) office at Iyana-Iworo to seek rescue, adding that before his arrival with the officials, Olu was inside the fisherman’s canoe being paddled to shore. (The Nation, excluding headline)

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