Search icon

News

04th Jun 2016

Muhammad Ali once talked a suicidal man down from the ledge of a building

What a man.

Ellen Tannam

The world sadly received the news of iconic boxer, civil rights activist and father Muhammad Ali’s death after his battle with a respiratory illness.

Ali passed away in a Phoenix, Arizona hospital and is survived by his wife, Yolanda Williams and his nine children.

People are sharing memories of the legend online today, and one such anecdote from 1981 is when Ali coaxed a man who was contemplating suicide down off the ledge of a Los Angeles building.

A young man who had psychiatric problems had spent over two hours on the ledge threatening to jump, and police and psychiatrists were not making any progress.

Ali then arrived to lend a hand, and climbed out a window beside the troubled man, and told him that he was ‘his brother’ and that he was there to help him.

The man was convinced to move off the ledge and was taken to hospital for treatment.

This is just one example of the many good deeds Ali did and displays the strong moral compass he possessed.

He will be missed.