Hello everyone,

My name is Rayane. I have been a shopkeeper in Lagny-sur-Marne since October 2022, running a restaurant called “Sushi Plaza”.

Recently, an event occurred that will mark my life and the lives of those who were there that day forever.

Allow me to tell you about it in as much detail as possible so that you fully understand its importance.



It was 04 April 2024, 12:58 …

I was talking with my friend Allan in the shop. I was preparing a bag for a delivery order. Suddenly, a man called out to warn us that the neighbor above was putting a rope around his neck and was going to jump.



I went outside the restaurant and I knew he was talking about Bertrand Arnaud Michel…



I will introduce him to you.

Béber, as I like to call him, is my neighbor on the second floor, a real cowboy, Santiags on his feet, with the matching hat. He is always accompanied by his little female dog who also wears a small red bandana around her neck. Béber has been living alone since his wife suffered a ruptured aneurysm 20 years ago. Before this tragedy, Bertrand was a wine merchant on rue de l’Aître in Lagny-sur-Marne, and he chose to file for bankruptcy in order to take care of his wife who was in a vegetative state. After 7 years, his wife passed away. A difficult ordeal to overcome, which gradually led him into an indescribable solitude that unfortunately deepened when his little dog took her last walk this past February…



…back to the story: I go out and look straight at his window — it is wide open but I do not see him. I go straight back into my restaurant below to call the police; I didn’t think he would jump, but that we would enter a negotiation phase.



Then I hear people outside talking to him a little loudly. I go back out and see him putting cables around his neck and beginning to step over the railing of his window. I instantly went back into the shop, as if refusing to see something that could potentially traumatize me for life.



And then I hear a sound that is hard to hear, a mix of cracking and a taut rope that leaves no room for doubt… Bertrand Arnaud Michel jumped; he hung himself with a cable.



A few seconds of stunned disbelief, realizing that there would be no negotiation, my brain switched to mission mode — I look for my keys to access the upper floors.



I find Eric, my neighbor who runs the RePlayce shop, tall, sturdy, athletic and above all aware that we have a neighbor going through a difficult time. In no time he follows me; we open the building door and teleport to his door on the second floor.



A brief moment of thought: I look at the door and realize it needs to be kicked down. I know I’m unable to do it because I had knee surgery. I ask Eric to “break the door in.” Eric launches himself with an absolutely powerful kick, the door explodes, we enter the apartment, we go to the window — Bertrand Michel is still suspended, he must be freed, time seems to stand still. I realize we need to cut the electrical cables as quickly as possible. I’m in Michel’s kitchen and find a long serrated knife; I give it to Eric and ask him to cut the cable. He goes to the window, I stand behind him and begin to hold his waist to give him weight and prevent him from falling out of the window… but nothing… nothing happens, the cable doesn’t cut and Eric says “it’s electrical cable, it won’t cut!” or something like that… I think of a second solution: force open the first-floor apartment door to grab Bertrand through the window. We teleport once again to that door; with my friend Allan we bang with all our strength to alert the neighbors to open for us. A young man comes to help; I ask him, with Allan’s help, to force the door.



Unfortunately, it doesn’t open.



No time to lose, I go back upstairs, grab the knife, go to the window, hold the cable with all my strength and… stab with the knife. The cable immediately severs… this is only the first step; now, with a strength that comes from somewhere else, I hang a man in mid-air with my bare hands. I ask the growing number of passersby to help and to stand below to catch him… but I think not everyone is — and certainly cannot be — prepared for that; only a young woman comes forward, her face filled with fear, and she says to me “no don’t drop him, I can’t.”


I find myself with Michel’s life in my hands, a life already severely tested. Despite the length of my account, at that moment we must be about three minutes from when he jumped.



13:01

The others still haven’t managed to get to the downstairs neighbor’s window. I cut the rope and hold him with my bare hands in the middle of the void. Do I let go? But to what end, if it’s only to see him smash on the ground — he might still be alive? I’m there, confused… I look below the first floor and there is a kind of small ledge, plus my restaurant’s sign, roughly 40/50 centimeters of flat surface… come on, I try to place Michel’s completely disjointed body, which I’m holding by the head, on this small ledge… I lower his legs first then, with a movement using the cable and my other hand, I guide his head so that he is perfectly lying down… miracle, I manage as if I had done it all my life…



Meanwhile, my call to the police went through; looking later at my call log, there is a 40-second call — at the other end a woman had quickly understood that something serious was happening… the police and firefighters arrive, Béber is lying on the sign, his head a horrible color, pale violet, he doesn’t move, a security cordon is set up, the SMUR arrives, and I stand in front of my restaurant, hearing nothing and staring at Monsieur Bertrand Arnauld Michel. And then, miracle, his arm moves, he moves; the firefighters position their vehicle in front of my shop, climb onto its roof and perform first-aid procedures — Béber is alive!!!



I was allowed to go into the ambulance to see him. He is lying there asleep; the rescuers reassure me and say his vital prognosis is not compromised and that he will pull through. Then I hear a “Thank you” — it’s Béberr… an immense relief that I feel, and I understand that our fates will forever be linked.



It is Thursday 25 April,

Béberr is in the Psychiatric Unit of the Hôpital de l’Est Francilien in Jossigny. I am allowed to visit him and I try, as best I can, to give him a taste for life again with simple moments and laughter that only bring us closer… I document this on my Snapchat (@Bbenyou7)

For those of you who were touched and who can support us, I’m sharing a link to a fund whose first purpose will be to pay Béberr’s debts and then, if possible, to put his apartment back in proper condition, and finally, if anything remains, to help bring some joy back into our Béberr’s life ❤️.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to live this story with us, and I hope we can count on your support ;)



P.S.: of course everything is done with Bertrand’s authorization.



Kind regards, Rayane.

Whatever the amount, everyone can contribute to this fund. There is no need to create an account or sign up, it’s quick and Card payments are 100% secure.

If you cannot contribute financially, please share this fund as widely as possible. THANK YOU!