My tutorial tonight was cancelled so I left early to get the tube home. As I walked along the platform I saw the train approaching. As it neared the platform the driver hit the brakes, screamed a loud whistle through the station and came to a screeching holt. The lights in the train went out, and the driver radioed an announcement through the train that I couldn't hear. I was right near his cab so walked over to ask what was going on. There was a man on the side of the tracks and the driver thought he might have hit him. No one went to investigate, except myself and another passenger - though the driver radioed for help. We weren't sure if the electricity was off so the other passenger and I stayed on the edge of the platform and peered along the tracks, and saw a man, unhurt, standing so close to the train, a hand's breadth from it, staring at the ground.

I yelled out to ask if he was ok, if he needed help, but he didn't reply. I yelled again asking him to walk back to the platform, but he didn't reply. I left the other guy to yell to him while I raced back to the train driver to tell him he hadn't hit the man, that he was standing there and not moving or talking. He said the electricity had been shut down and all the trains on the line stopped in both directions, and that the train couldn't move until the man was away from the tracks. I raced back to the end of the platform again and asked the man again if we could help, that we would help him in whatever way he needed, that we couldn't move the train while he was standing there, that help was waiting for him on the platform. I asked him to come to the platform, the other passenger yelled to him as well, and we spoke at him for two or three minutes without response. He started to walk away, and I raced back to tell the driver, then back down to the platform end again. More one sided imploring followed, until finally, he turned and slowly, slowly, reluctantly, walked back to the platform. Coming into the light of the station I saw that he was an old man, gaunt, sunken cheeks, dead lifeless eyes. I asked if he was hurt, what help he needed and he just couldn't talk, he stood at the end of the platform in a state of shock, lost to the world. I raced back up the platform to the train driver - by now there were tens of people hovering up the other end of the platform watching everything going on, and said we had talked the man off the tracks, he didn't believe me at first and I had to repeat myself, and he said he would radio the information through, but couldn't move the train until the man was off the platform. I raced back down to the other end of the platform and spoke to the man again. I asked if he needed help, what he needed, and asked if he would leave the platform with me so the train could go. He nodded his agreement, but didn't talk, and we started slowly walking up the platform together. I asked his name but he refused to tell me, looking constantly at the ground, never at me. I introduced myself to him and asked if he would like me to take him to a hospital. I was shocked at his reply.

He said he had just come from the UCL Hospital around the corner where he had told them he was suicidal, and they had turned him away. I asked if he was still suicidal, he said yes, and I said again we would get whatever help he needed. We were joined not long after by another London Underground member of staff. He recognised the man, and said to him 'weren't you the man who just asked me about the voltage of the tracks'? I spoke to the driver and told him about the man's suicidal state and UCL hospital turning him away, and asked him to call an ambulance. He spoke to the other London Underground staff and they helped the man off the platform. I didn't know what to do, and stayed on the platform.

By this time a crowd had gathered waiting for the trains to start running again and watching everything going on. No one tried to help apart from the initial male passenger. After the man was taken off the platform the electricity was restored and I walked back down the platform towards the end of the train. It was surreal, people stared at me, and a man stepped in front of me, blocked my path and with a huge smile on his face congratulated me, said "well done mate, you did a great job" etc etc. I just stared at him disbelievingly, then told him that the man was suicidal and was turned away from a hospital, than I felt sick, and I then walked off. Why didn't these people try to help?

I am so disppointed in other people tonight. So many people on the platform stayed well away, did nothing but care for themselves. I was so mad that the hospital didn't help this man I telephoned them when I got in. Probably not very sensible to make the call when I was so emotional and angry. The nurse in charge told me that everyone who turns up is assessed, but that yes, sometimes suicidal people are deemed not a risk and not admitted after the initial assessment. He didn't understand why I was so upset, even when I said a man almost died because of a misdiagnosis at his hospital. He started getting really rude and asked me why I even cared about this man anyway when I didn't even know his name. This inflamed my anger further, and I'm sorry to admit, I yelled at him and ended up hanging up on him. I've never encountered such a disregard for human need and suffering. I know there are countries where it's a daily occurence, but never in my experience.

I am so sad. I see his lifeless eyes in my mind's eye. A man with nothing left, nothing at all. I helped him to stay alive, but I don't know what he has to live for. I just hope he got to someone who could help him more than I.