Guardian angel Joel is a double life-saver

Photo: Chris Sunderland

GUARDIAN angel . . . Joel Rhoden has been nominated for a Pride award for saving two women.

A GUARDIAN angel who twice leapt to the rescue of suicidal women threatening to jump off the same bridge has been nominated for a Pride in Oldham award.

The Chronicle revealed in March that Joel Rhoden proved himself a double life-saver after pulling the troubled individuals back from the brink.

Now he has been nominated for one of our awards in the special achievement category for the remarkable rescues.

The 20-year-old spotted a woman in her late 20s about to leap to her death from the Hollins Road bridge, which crosses over the M60 in Hollinwood.

She was extremely distressed and threatening to jump but Joel talked to her about her troubles and calmed her down before lifting her to safety.

He then flagged down a police car and an ambulance was called to take the woman to hospital.

The drama came only six months after an identical situation when the student was again driving past the bridge.

That time he managed to grab a woman in her late 30s as she tried to jump and somehow hauled her back.

Police saw the incident on CCTV and Joel, from Leegrange Road, Blackley, helped the woman home.

Joel remained cool-headed both times and is modest about his heroics.

Proud mum Colleen Rhoden, from Higher Lime Road, Limeside, said it was great that Joel’s bravery had been recognised.

Joel, who is studying media production at Salford University, said: “It’s great to be nominated for an award. I was never expecting anything like that.”

He’s not made it a hat-trick of rescues since though, joking: “I have been trying to stay away from that bridge.”

But he’s had a lot of attention from people interested in his achievement.

He’s even been stopped in the street in Manchester by people wanting to talk about the front-page news in the Evening Chronicle and calling him a godsend.