WATCH: Orange County sergeant stops man with razor blade and noose from committing suicide

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office released dramatic video on Friday showing a sergeant talking a troubled man out of committing suicide.

The video appears to be from November 12 and shows how someone called 911 to report a suicidal man on a bridge along the Little Econ Greenway Trail. Immediately, several deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office showed up and found a man with a noose tied to his neck and the bridge. He was holding a razor blade against his neck.

Among the deputies who showed up was Sgt. Anthony Shea, a trained hostage negotiator with years of experience deescalating hostage situations.

“Out of everybody here at the Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Shea is probably one of those most qualified individuals to talk to an individual going through a mental health crisis,” said Deputy Jose Vazquez in the video.

The man on the bridge told Sgt. Shea he had recently lost his job and his family had abandoned him.

“He felt he had nothing left,” Shea said. “So it’s my job to let him know that this is a temporary problem and you can’t solve it with a long-term solution. I really thought he was going to go through with it. I was so scared, and I was scared for the guys because I didn’t want them to see that.”

In the video, Sgt. Shea reveals his sister Cielo Mejia committed suicide several years ago in South Florida. She had a mental illness and jumped from a building.

“I learned so much from the experience, the loss that I had with her, that I try to apply it to my everyday job, and try to help people with mental illness,” Shea said.

Sgt. Shea shared the story about his sister’s suicide with the man on the bridge, who put down the razor blade. But still, he stepped further down from the railing.

Finally, after more than a half hour talking to Sgt. Shea, the man removed the belt from around his neck. Eventually he climbed back over the railing and onto the bridge.

“When he came over the bridge and I helped him over and we embraced, it felt so good to know that I reached this young man and that we’re going to get him some help,” Shea said. “I hope and pray that he takes this experience and does great things in life.”

The video shows Sgt. Shea hugging the man and telling him it’s “alright” while the man cries.

Members of the community were quick to show their appreciation for Shea on Twitter:

Cox Media Group