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As she stood on top of a wall on the Britannia Bridge on a wet night Malan Wilkinson was determined to step off the 130ft high structure into the water.

Had it not been for the compassion of a stranger who stopped and asked her for a hug then she would have killed herself on that cold November night.

That stranger’s name turned out to be Gwyn Jones, a maths teacher at Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern, and now Malan, 30, wants to thank him for saving her.

Ms Wilkinson from Caernarfon drove to the bridge before walking into the flow of traffic and climbing the wall.

She readily admits she was probably quite angry towards Mr Jones at first because he was spoiling her plans to end her life.

Ms Wilkinson, deputy artistic director at Galeri Caernarfon , said: “I was 200% certain of doing that. Other cars were slowing down and there were people using their phones but no one stopped.”

No one apart from Mr Jones that was.

Over a period of time he spoke with Ms Wilkinson and slowly after gaining her confidence talked her down and into his arms.

(Image: Eryl Crump)

Ms Wilkinson, who has not seen her saviour since and feels she did not thank him properly, said: “I never really got round to it immediately afterwards as I was in hospital for a few days.

“I was back home over Christmas but became ill again in February and spent several weeks at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

“Now I feel as if I’ve been given a second chance and it’s all because of this one man who stopped and spoke with me. I owe my life to him, a kind samaritan.

“He asked me to come down to give him a hug. He said that life could be better, even good and the finality of this act would probably hurt everyone around me.

“He said each day was a gift and I’d probably regret ending my life. How could I not hug such a strong and noble man,” she said.

In a message posted on her Facebook page she wrote: “I quite literally owe my life to Gwyn Jones and a ‘thank you’ doesn’t feel like enough - but I’ll say it all the same, a tremendous THANK YOU.

“Here we have a real life hero. I can now clearer see the worth in life that he so passionately spoke about on that bridge. Thank you for the second chance.”

"I have a sister because he stopped and gave his time"

The youngest of triplets, Ms Wilkinson’s sister, Medi has added her own thanks on the page.

She wrote: “I can’t thank this special man enough. I have a sister because he stopped and gave his time to a person who was, at the time, in crisis.

“Gwyn Jones, thanks from the bottom of my heart for saving Malan. Gwyn, you’re a hero.”

Ms Wilkinson has written candidly about her mental health issues in a blog.

Her most recent admission to the Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd was her fourth spell at the hospital in recent years.

She says writing about her feelings and experiences are a form of therapy along with playing the piano and getting fitter.

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