Man dies after falling 14 storeys trying to save suicidal teenager in Hawaii
Date September 16, 2015 - 12:13AM
Sophie Jamieson
Thomas Bennett died a 'hero' in Hawaii. Photo: Facebook
A young British man who died after falling 14 storeys trying to save a suicidal teenager has been hailed as a hero.
Thomas Bennett fell to his death from an accommodation block at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu.
The 24-year-old, who came from Plymouth, Devon, but lived in Hawaii, had been attempting to rescue a teenager from a window ledge.
Thomas Bennett died trying to save a teen from hurting himself. Photo: Facebook
But the rescue mission ended in tragedy as both men fell.
Mr Bennett was killed, while the 19-year-old survived the incident but was left in a critical condition.
The teenager is understood to have sustained serious injuries in the fall, including two broken legs, a broken arm, a collapsed lung, a partially broken back and internal bleeding.
The Honolulu Medical Examiner said British-born Mr Bennett died as a result of injuries from the fall.
Mr Bennett's mother Lesley Heard, 50, of Plymouth, said: "The word 'hero' is banded about too freely, but what my son did was heroic.
"Wherever he went, he made friends with his cheeky grin, distinctive red hair and piercing blue eyes and his caring personality. He was full of life.
"I hope that young man [he saved] will put his second chance at life to good use and in time, pay forward the caring and kindness that my Tommy gave to him so my son will not have died in vain.
"We are all so immensely proud of Tom for his unselfish act in helping someone else."
Mr Bennett was born in Britain, but was brought up in Philadelphia, where he lived for 14 years. Three years ago he moved to Hawaii, where he worked as a landscaper.
He is believed to have been attending the party of a friend, Ted Guillory, at the Hale Wainani dormitory on 16 August shortly before the start of the new university term.
Neither Mr Bennett nor the man he attempted to save were students at the university, reports said.
Mr Guillory told local news organisation Kaleo.org: "Tommy cared about - and loved - a lot of people in his life, and he proved to me that night that he cared about other people more than he even cared about himself.
"He is a hero.
"What he did that night was the most heroic thing I've ever seen anybody do and the fact that my best friend Tommy did it, it doesn't surprise me."
Mr Bennett's family and friends paid tribute to him at a funeral service in his home town of Plymouth.
He leaves behind his mother Lesley, father Chris and siblings Annaliese, Emily, Ross and Isabelle.
Telegraph, London
