BELGRADE, SERBIA - On a bright autumn day, Renato Grbic was out fishing on the Danube
with his brother when he heard a big splash. At first, he thought
somebody had thrown something off Pancevo bridge. Then he saw a man
flailing in the water. "We hurried and pulled the man out," Mr Grbic
recalled. "I remember telling him: 'Such a glorious day and you want to
kill yourself!'." It was the first time Mr Grbic saved a life. From that day 15 years
ago, his own life would never be the same. The bright-eyed, tattooed
restaurant owner from a shabby industrial zone on the outskirts of
Belgrade has so far rescued 25 people who tried to kill themselves by
jumping off the tall bridge over the Danube. Always on alert in
his little wooden motor boat, the burly 51-year-old has been dubbed the
"Superman of the Danube" by his admirers and awarded a hero's plaque by
Belgrade city authorities. But even "Superman" can't save everybody who
jumps off the 60ft-high bridge: At least as many as he had saved have
killed themselves at the spot since Mr Grbic's first rescue. "When I
hear that someone has jumped and I wasn't there I really feel bad,"
he said. "My eyes are always on the bridge." Mr Grbic has found
that some of the people he rescued suffered from cancer or other
terminal illnesses, while others cited poverty or unrequited love. All,
he said, felt lonely. He added: "They often do it in daytime so they
would be seen. They want attention, love." One day, in mid-January
about seven years ago, Mr Grbic was just preparing to turn his boat to
the shore and go home when he heard a scream. An 18-year-old woman,
going through a mental crisis, had burst out of her parents' car at the
bridge, taken off her jacket and jumped, shouting: "Goodbye mum!" Mr
Grbic said something had made him stick around. "It was a very windy
day, a few minutes later and I would have gone." The girl, Mr
Grbic said, is the only one who has stayed in touch. Every January she
comes to his fish restaurant to celebrate her "second birthday". She is
married now and has a child. Mr Grbic was invited to the wedding
reception. (independent)
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