A MOTHER-of-two has been praised after she talked a suicidal 19-year-old woman down from Newport Bridge by sharing her own story of how she fought depression.

Young mum Leah Morgan, 21, was walking with a friend on the bridge by the Old Green Interchange on Queensway just before 7pm on Tuesday, July 22 when she saw the woman on the bridge and immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation.

Ms Morgan, from Bacon Place, Malpas, said: “She was just stood on the bridge and didn’t seem right, she was looking into the distance.

“I asked her if she smoked and wanted a cigarette. Then we talked to her for about 10 minutes. She was saying how it was her only option.”

Ms Morgan said she opened up with her own story in the hope the woman would relate to it. “I have been there before and have had similar thoughts so I told her how I had got over my depression,” Ms Morgan said.

“She asked me how I did it and then after a while she finally stepped back down.”

Ms Morgan, who is mother to boys Casey and Cameron, then went down to the subway to call the emergency services but then saw the woman climbing over the side of the bridge.

Her instincts took over and she grabbed the stranger’s foot to stop her jumping off. She said: “I sprinted towards her and a fireman in the engine jumped out too and I managed to pull her back.

“It was really upsetting. Later that night it hit me emotionally. All I could think about was what if she had gone over.”

Two fire crews and the police arrived at the scene and officers said the woman was brought to safety.

Pamela Morris, Ms Morgan’s grandmother, said: “I was really proud of her. She was in a right state afterwards but I think she was very proud. Other people might have just walked by.”

A spokeswoman for the Samaritans advised the public to always ask open questions and respect what the person tells you when dealing with such a situation someone who may be a cause for concern.

They said: “There isn’t a right way to talk somebody down as such but it is just having the courage and confidence to approach somebody.”