A RAIL worker has been recognised for the care and compassion he showed to a suicidal man.

Southern Railway’s Matt Lenton won a Samaritans Lifesaver prize at the national Rail Staff Awards for his actions at Hassocks station over Christmas last year.

After a busy shift over the festive period, Mr Lenton saw a man who was about to take his own life. Despite having just finished work, he went out of his way to approach the desperate man and move him to a safe location before spending hours helping to talk through the issues which led him to the situation.

Mr Lenton, from Hurstpierpoint, then took the man home and gave him his personal mobile number so he could make contact in the future if “life got too much”.

Weeks later, the suicidal man wrote to Southern Railway with details of what happened and praised Mr Lenton for his actions that day.

His letter read: “Let me just say that if it wasn’t for the kind, considerate nature of this guy and his ability to see the need in others I may well not be here today. He changed my outlook on life and I now live every day to the full.

“My daughter and her partner are expecting their first child, so I’m going to be a granddad, something I could have missed if it wasn’t for him.

“I and my family are forever thankful and I have recently called him to tell him, he congratulated me and my family and explained that this is a prime example that things do get better.

“He took time out of his day to speak to me, his own time to ensure I was ok.

“Even though he has his own issues he put them to one side to make sure I was ok, a true selfless act, I am forever in his debt.”

Chris Hudson, Southern Railway spokesman, said: “Without Matt’s dedication to others it’s highly likely that this individual would have committed suicide.


“From a railway perspective this would have resulted in a distressed driver and thousands of passengers who experienced disruption, during what was already an especially difficult period for travelling.”