Concerned friend slips in clever questions to help lead police to a troubled teen and it saved her life
'She told me and I kept her talking while my dad got an officer to come talk to her,' they said.
A person who goes by u/Foolishcatt on Reddit shared a tense series of screenshots showing how they helped save a classmate’s life by staying calm and collecting key details, all while pretending it was just a regular conversation. In the October 10 post that gained 20k upvotes, they explained, "She told me, and I kept her talking while my dad got an officer to come talk to her. I get where she’s coming from, but she’s important, and I didn’t know what to do, so I did this. She’s probably gonna hate me for the rest of the year. I’m scared she’ll try again. Did I overreact? Should I have done nothing instead?"
The texts began when the teen’s friend messaged saying she planned to end her life. Instead of panicking, u/Foolishcatt gently redirected the conversation, asking about her day, steering toward casual topics. At one point, they joked about arcade plans, saying she still owed them a game of air hockey. A few messages later, they asked about her favorite shows and how far she lived from the park. They were slowly gathering personal information like her mother’s name, her neighborhood, and even her apartment details.
While keeping the girl engaged, u/Foolishcatt told their father, who alerted authorities and guided an officer to the address. The entire time, the friend masked their concern with humor and small talk. Later, the officers traced the address using the details gathered from the conversation. A few minutes later, the girl texted that she heard knocking at the door. Realizing what had happened, she accused her friend of calling the police. "You bi***," she wrote in the last message, adding that even at this time, her grandfather would compare her to her mother, who she described as an addict, instead of empathizing with her. u/Foolishcatt replied, "I know, but I didn't know what to do. It's not about him, it's about you."
Their actions showed how staying calm and keeping a conversation going in such situations can sometimes be the most effective thing a person can do to save a life. A scoping review by Bowersox et al., published in the Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, examined how peer-based interventions play a crucial role in suicide prevention. The study found that even non-professionals — classmates, coworkers, or friends — can make a measurable difference when they recognize warning signs early and guide someone to help.
The post struck a chord with several users who praised the teen for staying composed and acting quickly. u/mmmkay938 wrote, "A smooth collection of the necessary info to send them. Excellent work, OP. Your friend will be grateful to you one day for saving them, or they’ll stop saying they’re going to do it for attention — either way, it’s a good outcome." u/theycallme_mama commented, "Yes, OP. Perfectly! You handled that better than most adults would have. She may be mad at you for a minute, but it won’t be forever. I hope she gets the help she needs and finds a more supportive and healthy environment to live in." u/tawnyfritz added, "A master class in buying time and gathering info. Perfection. I hope the friend gets the help they need."
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