Helpline priest falls asleep during suicide call for help

The clergyman's response left the troubled man angry rather than depressed, and he abandoned thoughts of suicide Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The suicidal man called emergency services at around 2am on Friday, saying he felt "psychologically unstable". He was forwarded to the duty Church of Sweden pastor. About five minutes into the call, the troubled 44-year-old man had the feeling that he was talking to himself.

"I thought maybe he was taking notes, so I asked: 'Are you taking notes?'" the man told the Barometern local daily.

"I could hear his heavy breathing before he woke up," he said.

But, according to the man, the pastor's alertness did not last for long. After another frustrating few minutes with no response from the priest, the man rang off.

Luckily, the clergyman's response to his woes left the troubled man angry rather than depressed, and he abandoned thoughts of suicide.

This week he told the Kalmar newspaper: "It's not acceptable for a priest to fall asleep in the middle of a call; this should not happen when you call up in search of help. I felt bad and wanted to kill myself, but I pulled myself together and made the call. I am very disappointed."

According to Monica Eckerdal Kjellstroem, responsible for Church of Sweden duty pastors, it is not the first time this has happened.

"This sort of thing should really not occur, but it does sometimes happen that people call and report that the pastors have fallen asleep," she told The Local.se.

She promised to fire anyone in future who could not stay awake long enough to help callers.