Stockton Man Talks About Trying To Break Woman's Fall At Raiders' Coliseum

STOCKTON (CBS13) - He used himself as a shield to break a woman's fall. The Stockton man who tried to break a woman's 50-foot fall at a Raiders game told CBS13 he's no hero.

Donnie Navidad was posing for pictures with a friend after the game Sunday when he heard commotion. He told the woman to not jump and when she did, he quickly helped.

"It's like, am I actually witnessing this?" said Donnie Navidad.

Navidad, a Marine vet, watched in horror as the young woman jumped from a 50-foot ledge.

"When I seen her falling, I kinda grabbed her. I tried to grab her so she wouldn't bounce," he said.

The 61 year old broke the woman's fall with his bare hands. She landed about six yards away, critically injured.

"I'm concerned with her; she's a young lady with a lot of life ahead of her," said Navidad.

The great-grandfather was released from the hospital Sunday night, thankful he survived the ordeal with nothing more than a couple of bad bruises.

"I saw stars. I wasn't knocked out; then I started feeling tingling in my arm," said Navidad.

Responders hailed Navidad a hero.

"It went in one ear and out the other," said Navidad.

He's a humble one at that.

"The definition of hero – geez, Batman? Superman, no? It's just an instinct," he said.

It's an instinct that remains from his time as a Marine.

"They say once a Marine always a Marine. The training that you receive, you don't leave that. That stays with you," he said.

The woman was in the third level, closed to fans. It's not clear why she jumped, but Navidad believes there's a reason he was in the level below ready to help.

"In a way, it's like a supreme being put me in that more or less position," he said.

Well wishes from near and far have poured in, including a call from the Raiders team. Navidad is a life-long fan and season ticket holder.

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