Donald Taylor (Don) Ritchie OAM is an Australian who has rescued at least 160 people from suicide over a 45 year period. Ritchie resides next to The Gap, a cliff in Sydney, Australia known for suicide attempts. In 2006, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his rescues,[1] the official citation being for "service to the community through programs to prevent suicide."[2] Ritchie and his wife were also named "Citizens of the Year" for 2010 by Woollahra Council, the local government authority responsible for The Gap.[3] He received Local Hero Award for Australia in 2011, the National Australia Day Council saying: "His kind words and invitations into his home in times of trouble have made an enormous difference... With such simple actions, Don has saved an extraordinary number of lives."[4]
Ritchie explains his intervention in suicide attempts saying "you can't just sit there and watch them".[5]
Ritchie is a former life insurance salesman.[5]