Perhaps it wasn't the most tactful thing to say, but this is most certainly the right forum to discuss this. His post was about this very situation. It's 100% relevant. While I don't agree with his viewpoint myself, discussing what we want HN to be helps avoid confusion and unmet expectations.

2 points (I downvoted this - here is a rationalisation of that).

Firstly we have no info about what happened. In all liklehood (as in the majority of cases) this was a cry for help to which his friends responded well. Calling it an almost-death is, at the moment, an overstatement :)

Secondly I think you missed the commentors point. I feel nothing but a passing interest in this - yes I hope the guy is ok but there is nothing I can personally do. It's not something I will remember tomorrow (unless it hits here again). If the posting here bore fruit then that's great.. but otherwise lets move on. EDIT: of course if it was someone I happened to know I would have been notified by the posting and would have done something (just ot be clear :D).

And finally one has to wonder equally whether messages of support from random people he has never seen (on a thread he will never see) would have a positive effect. I doubt it. The same is true for semi-negative posts.