Wrestler Opens Up About Saving Man from Jumping Off Bridge - 'God Put Me There'
In a sports news landscape that sometimes seems dominated by the heinous and awful actions of professional athletes, it’s nice to be reminded of the good that athletes, professional or not, can do.
The latter is the case when it comes to four-time Virginia state wrestling champion and coach Collin Dozier.
As Fox News reported, the 31-year-old from Virginia Beach had a chance encounter with a young man on the side of Lesner Bridge on April 24.
Dozier said the man clearly looked like he was ready to jump and try to end his life.
Fortunately, thanks to Dozier, this story has as happy an ending imaginable.
When he noticed the 27-year-old man, identified as only Jacob, on the side of the bridge, Dozier sprang into action.
He told Fox about how his faith had emboldened him and led him directly to this moment.
“Out of all people, God put me there at the right place and the right time,” Dozier said.
He elaborated on that in a video interview with Trinity Church in Virginia Beach.
“I really felt the Lord calling me to see what was going on,” Dozier said.
When Jacob refused to look at or even acknowledge him, the former wrestler knew something was wrong.
“I said, ‘Don’t do it,'” Dozier said. “I said, ‘Jesus loves you, He’s here for you.’ It got to the point that I just felt helpless and the only thing I could possibly do was to turn to the Lord and pray.
“I reached out my hand, and I said, ‘Lord Jesus, please speak to this guy, open his eyes right now. Let him see your love.’ I know when times are tough, that’s the only thing to possibly turn to.”
He said police arrived after about 20 minutes, but Jacob panicked and reacted with anger.
“He was like, ‘Leave us alone right now or there’s going to be two murders tonight, I’ve got a gun on my waistband I’m going to kill you both,'” Dozier said.
He could have run away in fear, but Dozier told WVBT-TV that he knew he needed to be there.
“I had the peace of God over me, like I don’t even know how to explain it, there wasn’t a single doubt that I should walk away at that point,” he said. At the time, Dozier didn’t even know that Jacob had binged on various drugs, including heroin, PCP, meth and cocaine, to help push him toward a suicide attempt.
When Dozier saw the slightest bit of hesitation from Jacob, he sprung into action and plucked the troubled young man from the side of the bridge.
For his heroics, Dozier was rewarded with Virginia Beach’s “Lifesaving Award” on Wednesday.
But the story didn’t end when the two men left the bridge.
Trinity Church Teaching Pastor Randy Singer told Fox about how Dozier did much more for Jacob afterward.
Not only did he rally 110 men at a weekend retreat to pray for the troubled young man, but he got in touch with Jacob at a rehab facility and went over the Gospel with him.
“He was overwhelmed that I talked to him and cared enough about him,” Dozier said. “He said, ‘I’m so thankful to be alive. I can’t thank you enough.'”
“The love you shared with me that night — you didn’t even know me — I want that,” Jacob said.
Jacob, an addict who had taken drugs every day for the last 10 years, is now three and a half weeks sober.
He also has embraced Jesus and is attending church and community group.
That’s all thanks to a wrestler who, spurred on by his faith, saw a chance to save a soul.
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