Don Ritchie
Encyclopedia
Donald Taylor Ritchie OAM
is an Australia
n who has rescued at least 160 people from suicide
over a 45 year period. Ritchie resides next to The Gap, a cliff in Sydney
, Australia
known for suicide attempts. In 2006, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his rescues, the official citation being for "service to the community through programs to prevent suicide." Ritchie and his wife were also named "Citizens of the Year" for 2010 by Woollahra Council, the local government authority responsible for The Gap. He received Local Hero Award for Australia in 2011, the National Australia Day Council
saying: "His kind words and invitations into his home in times of trouble have made an enormous difference... With such simple actions, Don has saved an extraordinary number of lives."
Ritchie explains his intervention in suicide attempts saying "you can't just sit there and watch them".
Ritchie is a former life insurance salesman.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
is an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n who has rescued at least 160 people from suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
over a 45 year period. Ritchie resides next to The Gap, a cliff in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
known for suicide attempts. In 2006, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his rescues, the official citation being for "service to the community through programs to prevent suicide." Ritchie and his wife were also named "Citizens of the Year" for 2010 by Woollahra Council, the local government authority responsible for The Gap. He received Local Hero Award for Australia in 2011, the National Australia Day Council
National Australia Day Council
The coordinating body for the Australian of the Year Awards and Australia Day celebrations across the nation is the National Australia Day Council ....
saying: "His kind words and invitations into his home in times of trouble have made an enormous difference... With such simple actions, Don has saved an extraordinary number of lives."
Ritchie explains his intervention in suicide attempts saying "you can't just sit there and watch them".
Ritchie is a former life insurance salesman.