Meet Casey McCormick, a 30-year-old who lives in New York. She recently went viral after a well-intended act didn't go down as she planned.
From her office view, Casey had spotted what she thought was a person who was preparing to jump off while dressed as a handmaid.
For context, The Handmaid's Tale is the Hulu drama inspired by Margaret Atwood's 1985 novel set in a dystopian version of the United States known as Gilead.
The distinct red robe and white bonnet, worn by handmaids on the hit show, has become a symbol of oppression and women's rights.
After consulting some of her work colleagues, Casey called 911 because, as she said, "it was better to be safe than sorry, and to do something." But when a police officer attended the scene, it turns out that what Casey thought was a person dressed in costume was actually an umbrella.
"The NYPD's response was extremely fast and courteous," added Casey.
Blessed be the umbrella. Thank you Casey and the @POPSUGAR team for alerting us to this crime, glad we could save the day. Jokes aside, if you’re ever hesitant about calling 911 - don’t be! We take all calls seriously, and worse case we get to go home with a great story. https://t.co/PJLNw9Gx0P
In a statement to BuzzFeed News, a DCPI spokesperson confirmed the incident and said: "On Tuesday, May 21 at approximately 1100 hours police responded to a 911 call of an emotionally disturbed person in the vicinity of West 27th Street and Park Avenue South within the confines of the 13th Precinct.
"The Emergency Service Unit responded and determined that a third party caller inside of a building observed what they believed to a person standing at the edge of a roof on a building located across the street. Police were able to access the building and upon investigation the person turned out to be an umbrella."
Her tweet about the incident has been shared more than 100,000 times and prompted various responses.
Today I thought I saw a woman dressed as a handmaid about to jump from a building. I called 911.
"Most people who have chimed in have been very kind and encouraging, which feels like a rarity on the internet," she said.
"A lot of people said they would have done the same, or that it's better look out for people than worry about feeling foolish. Tons of people wanted to know why the cop texted me. And then there are a handful who straight up think I'm dumb, and that's fine! One man thought I should be arrested for wasting police resources, but honestly, I would never have called if I did not believe there was the potential someone was in trouble. New York City's a wild place — we all have to look out for each other."
Similar to Casey, another New York resident spotted the umbrella and nearly made a call.
@itsmeCaseyMc I work across the street from her and almost did the same thing!
Some people shared their own blunders.
@itsmeCaseyMc @dysondoc I once offered to help a blind man cross the road. He actually had 2020 vision and was carrying the white curtain pole he had just bought.
@itsmeCaseyMc Well, in your defense, I confused some nuns (dressed in black) with death eaters from Harry Potter universe coming to murder everyone at my neighborhood. LOL it was really windy that day, so... 🤣🤭
@itsmeCaseyMc @shelleygusto What’s terrifying is that in this particular time and place in our nation... I 100% would have thought the same thing, and would not have been as shocked. Under his eye.
@itsmeCaseyMc @kencf0618 The terrible truth of this is that today this does not seem unbelivable..
@itsmeCaseyMc I'm very glad you called 911 - and I am even more glad it was only an umbrella up there, and not someone in distress. You're a good person (and this whole thing is funny now that I know everything is OK).
Mostly, people are relieved that what could have been a tragedy actually turned out to be a genuine mistake.
@itsmeCaseyMc You absolutely did the right thing, and glad it was a happy ending.
If you're in the UK and want to talk, you can contact the Samaritans 24/7 on 08457 90 90 90. International suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org. The US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. You can also text TALK to 741741 for free, anonymous 24/7 crisis support in the US from the Crisis Text Line.