OrangeCoSheriffFL/YouTubeLinkin Park‘s music took on new life following the death of their frontman, Chester Bennington.
Their albums, filled with cacophonies of rhapsodic brilliance, were celebrated on an overwhelming scale after Chester took his own life. The hits are immortal, from the iconic opening bars of Papercut and the poignant nihilism of In the End, to the head-banging glory of New Divide.
Their lyrics carry immense power: evidenced in Florida recently, when a woman called upon their words to try and save a man’s life.
Watch the video from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office below:
Cristina Settanni was travelling on the State Road 408 expressway in Orlando, when she noticed a man sitting on the edge of an overpass.
Police had been receiving calls that morning with reports of the man sitting on the edge of the bridge, but no one stopped – until Settanni.
In the video, Settanni said: ‘As I saw him in my rear view mirror, I thought I probably should stop since no-one else did.’
As it turns out, this wasn’t Settanni’s usual route to work – however, she was running late and had to take the 408.
She explained in the video:
I stopped because I’ve been where he was. I know what it’s like to stand on the ledge and feel like it’s your only option. He needed somebody to show that somebody cared enough to stop, and say, ‘You don’t need to do this today.’ There was a moment he moved forward, and I did kind of move towards him as if, ‘No; you go, I go.’
In an effort to comfort the man, who hasn’t been named, she said a lyric from one of her favourite Linkin Park songs: One More Light.
PAShe recited the lyric:
Who cares if one more light goes out? Well I do.
When Deputy Shaun Cayer arrived at the scene, he was initially concerned the pair were making some sort of suicide pact. However, his worries were soon quashed.
Deputy Cayer explained:
But when I walked up and she had that really calm demeanour, it looked more like she was trying to help him.
OrangeCoSheriffFL/YouTubeThe officer eventually pulled the man back from the edge, who was then taken to a mental healthcare facility.
In times where you don’t know what’s worth fighting for or why you want to scream, speak to someone. Don’t bottle it up – break the habit.
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58, and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.