Suicide Watch patrols continue in Limerick amid Covid-19 crisis

Members of Limerick Suicide Watch are continuing their patrols, providing help to the city’s most vulnerable, despite the obvious threat posed by physically engaging with those on the brink.
Suicide Watch patrols continue in Limerick amid Covid-19 crisis
Husband and wife LSW members Edel and Alex Henriques, on Limerick city's quays. Pic: Cian Reinhardt

Members of Limerick Suicide Watch are continuing their patrols, providing help to the city’s most vulnerable, despite the obvious threat posed by physically engaging with those on the brink.

Despite the added risks posed by coronavirus, husband and wife LSW members Edel and Alex Henriques will continue to do whatever it takes to save a life.

The group has introduced new social distancing measures, but the nature of their job means they get up close to those at their lowest ebb.

Ms Henriques says “absolutely, yes,” they will continue to do “whatever it takes” to save a life, even if it means physically pulling someone back from the brink.

Both suicide, and Covid-19, can, without much warning signs, take a person’s life; victims may die alone; and loved ones may not get to say goodbye.

“We are more aware of physical distancing, but there’s obviously circumstances where you can’t do that. When people are really upset, then you can’t really be that far away from them and try and talk them down,” she adds.

However others in the group of some 70 members have postponed their patrolling, until the virus is gone.

“The only thing that’s changed is we have smaller groups going out because we need to protect our own members, so, if any of our members have underlying issues or who have people at risk at home then we would advise them to stay at home and not patrol,” she explains.

The impact of self-isolation, perhaps, along with pub closures, may be reasons for a reduction in visible numbers of people “in distress”, which, in turn has reduced a drain on less resources.

“At the moment we are not seeing as much as activity out along the riverside. So, if we see one person out or two people out showing signs of distress we can go to them immediately and we are not looking at five different scenarios — That’s not a bad thing.”

“The last few weeks have been the quietest. We’ve had two interventions and perhaps six incidents.”

“Interventions would be somebody telling us they are suicidal, and incidents would be that they’re not suicidal but they want to chat, or someone in their family may have died by suicide, or they might be running away from home, or they may be drunk and just need help.”

They have three children, so they are never out on patrol together: “We have protocols where we can’t be on the same team. If you see your partner in danger then you’re (possibly) going to pull them back. It might sway your judgement in a case with a loved one involved.”

Alex, who’s originally from Portugal, says he’s been volunteering in various services most of his life: “I was a Boy Scout and a volunteer with the fire service in Portugal. I always try to help a little bit, and it makes me feel good knowing that I am helping people.”

“Obviously we are sanitising everything because we have different (members) coming (into our base), and we are patrolling two metres apart. We try to talk to a person from a distance,” he adds.

LSW has had “350 interventions and incidents inside may 2016, averaging on two per week” they explained.

They encounter people from “all walks of life” who are in distress due to a variety of issues, including “bullying”, “financial (pressures)”, “addiction”, “homelessness”, “abuse”, “family breakdown”.

LSW is a registered charity, operating entirely on voluntary donations.

It costs “approximately €47,000 per year” to operate the service with each member’s safety clothing and kit costing an average €450.

LSW has designed a mobile phone app with a list of contacts for mental health services, which can be downloaded free of charge here.

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