Bus driver talks woman out of jumping from bridge

A quick-thinking American bus driver helped save a woman from jumping off the side of a bridge.

Damone Hudson was driving his bus over the Main Street Bridge in Dayton, Ohio, last month when he noticed a woman who looked like she was about to leap from it, reports the New York Daily News.

Security video from inside the bus shows Hudson halting his bus on the bridge as he notices the woman.

He can be heard asking the woman, "why don't we come back over on the other side of the rail?"

Footage captured only part of the driver's conversation with the vulnerable woman, but it was enough to distract her from an apparent suicide bid before police arrived and got her to safety.

During an interview with WHIO, Hudson recalled saying to her: "'Ma'am, you look like you’re having a bad day, you know. Can I give you a hug?'" 

Dayton police said the bus driver played a vital role in keeping her from attempting to take her own life.

If you or someone you know are suffering depression or a mental health issue, visit Lifeline Australia or call 131114.