How Nicho Hynes saved a suicidal man's life: New details revealed about footy star's incredible act and heartwarming promise come to light
- Nicho Hynes talks down distressed person from taking their life
- Hynes was also with two Sharks assistant coaches at the time
- For confidential crisis support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14
New details have emerged about how NRL star Nicho Hynes helped talk down a complete stranger from taking his own life at a well-known bridge on the NSW south coast.
On Monday it was reported by 2GB sports presenter Spiro Christopoulosthat that the Sharks halfback stopped a suicidal person from jumping off the Sea Cliff Bridge near Wollongong, about an hour's drive south of Sydney.
Christopoulos said that he sent a text message to the 2022 Dally M Medallist to check if the story was accurate and received the reply: 'Yeah, mate. It happened. Crazy stuff.'
It has now emerged that Hynes had been travelling with assistant coaches Steve Price and Daniel Holdsworth at the time of the heroic act.
The trio pulled over on the bridge after seeing a middle-aged man in a distressed state on the wrong side of the railing.
The man seemed to be in an agitated state, had a bottle of wine near him and was saying repeatedly 'I've had enough'.
Holdsworth called the police while Hynes and Price grabbed the man and pulled him to safety.
The distraught man reportedly recognised the Cronulla star before he and Price managed to calm him down by talking about football, the Sydney Morning Herald revealed.
Sharks star Nicho Hynes (pictured) stopped a person from committing suicide
The individual was on the famous Sea Cliff Bridge (pictured) near Wollongong when Hynes and assistant coaches Steve Price and Daniel Holdsworth stepped in
The trio then drove the man from the bridge to get medical assistance.
Hynes and Price then called the man on Monday to check up on him and have promised to take him to a Cronulla match when he's feeling better.
The talented halfback is known for his work in mental health, having spoken about his own challenges in the past and launching Cronulla's inaugural Mental Fitness Round earlier this year.
'I've been a big advocate over the last few years with my story and speaking about mental health, I've spoken so much about it out loud, so I need to follow through with it,' he said in May.
'I felt like if I'm going to be someone who is an advocate for it and who speaks up, then I have to do something about it.
Hynes was travelling with Sharks assistant coaches Steve Price (left) and Daniel Holdsworth at the time of the incident
Hynes (pictured at the 2023 ARIA Awards) topped off a rough month on the field by breaking his leg at training on Monday
'There's no better feeling than seeing a young kid or someone that messages me to tell me that I've changed their life.
'I don't mean that to sound arrogant at all. But that's better than scoring a try in any game of footy.'
The heroic act came during what's been a rough month for Hynes, whose Sharks were disappointing in a shock loss to the Titans on Friday night.
Shortly after the news broke on Monday morning, he was carried off the field at Cronulla training after suffering a fractured ankle and complete rupture of the syndesmosis ligament.
The 2022 Dally M Medallist has seen specialists since then, and is now unlikely to return until at least the eve of the finals.
'It has been confirmed that Nicho has a complete syndesmosis rupture, plus a tibia fracture to his left ankle,' Sharks performance boss Nathan Pickworth said.
'He will undergo surgery tomorrow [Wednesday], with an estimated return to the field of approximately eight weeks.'
The injury comes as a massive blow to the Sharks, who have lost five of their past six games to fall from first to fourth on the ladder.
Sitting pretty for the minor premiership two months ago, Cronulla are now only four points clear of 10th-placed St George Illawarra.
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