A good Samaritan helped coax a man in crisis down from a towering construction crane in downtown San Jose early Monday morning.
Jay Bascha, a hairdresser in the South Bay city, scaled the crane located in the area of 4th and East Santa Clara streets to get the man, who was apparently intoxicated and suicidal, to come down safely.
"I love people," Bascha said. "It's not a stranger. He's my brother. We're all brothers and sisters. We all should love each other for one another."
Bascha and the man eventually made their way back down to the ground. The man was taken into custody for having an outstanding arrest warrant, according to police. He was slated to be transported to Santa Clara County Jail.
Police initially responded to the scene around 1:30 a.m. and spotted the two men at the top of the crane. They surrounded the construction area and closed off nearby streets.
Bascha had hopped a fence at the construction site and climbed to the top of the crane where he met with the man in the operator's booth. He proceeded to talk with the man, who was apparently heartbroken over a girlfriend.
"I'm just an honest person, and I love people," Bascha said. "That's all it is. When somebody's saying, like, 'Oh, they're going to jump or something,' that scares me. It scares me to a point to where I want to go help somebody."
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Bascha is afraid of heights, but he said he was so focused on saving the man's life that he didn't really pay much attention to how high in the air he was.
Police did detain Bascha for trespassing and interfering with a police operation, but they let him go. Bascha said he won't face any charges.
Some streets in the area were closed during the incident, but they have since reopened.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
