(PHOTO AND STORY :KHQ.COM)
Freshman defensive back Grant Porter hasn’t played a single snap for the Washington State University football team, but he’s already making a huge impact in Pullman.
Porter helped save a man’s life Wednesday night when the intervened in a suicide attempt.
“He was right under the basketball rim,” said Porter. “He had some rope tied around his back and a lanyard tied around his hands and he was standing on the chair.”
Porter and his friend, Allison Schomburg, were driving near campus when they saw the 24-year-old man.
“I had her make a U-turn,” said Porter. “And we stopped in the middle of the road.”
But Porter and Schomburg didn’t stay in the middle of the road for long. They quickly drove to the basketball court and Porter got out of the car and approached the man.
“I asked him what’s going on and he said he had been kidnapped,” said Porter. “I’m just looking like this must be a joke, this can’t be real.”
Porter quickly realized it wasn’t a joke. The wide receiver turned defensive back noticed scars on the man’s wrists. Porter called police, and untied him.
“He took everything back to his car,” said Porter. “I was standing there confused. I didn’t know what was going on and I was like he was not kidnapped he was trying to commit suicide.”
Porter was right. When Pullman Police arrived they interviewed the man and determined he was in need of a mental health evaluation and transported to the hospital.
“It was a natural instinct to stop and go,” said Porter. “I didn’t think about it like, ‘what should I do?’ I didn’t call anyone and say ‘a man’s tied to a chair what should I do?’ It just happened really quickly.”
Porter says he hopes the situation helps bring a more positive opinion of athletes.
Porter and Schomburg will be presented with the Lifesaving Award at the Pullman City Council meeting Tuesday night.