Bodycam footage shows NYPD cop scaling the Williamsburg Bridge in the rain to coax down a distraught man threatening to jump
Bodycam footage shows an NYPD officer climbing the Williamsburg Bridge in the rain to pull over a distraught man threatening to jump
- Footage shows NYPD officers rescuing a distraught man from the Williamsburg Bridge
- After receiving numerous calls Sunday evening, crews were able to get the man to safety
- An officer can be heard saying to the man, “Whatever you’re going through, it happens to all of us, you know. But we have to get you out of here.”
Nail-biting bodycam footage shows the moment NYPD officers climbed the Williamsburg Bridge in pouring rain to save a distraught man who was in danger of jumping.
Officers responded to numerous 911 calls after the man was spotted at the top of the bridge, which sits 130 feet above the East River at its center, shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday.
In the video released by the NYPD, officers are seen climbing the bridge drenched in rain after post-tropical storm Ophelia hit the East Coast.
An officer is heard telling the man, “My man, talk to me. I’m here to help you, man, talk to me. What’s your name?
“Whatever you’re going through, it happens to all of us, you know. But we have to get you out of here.”
Officers are seen climbing the bridge drenched in rain after post-tropical storm Ophelia hit the east coast
Images show how the man is brought to safety after being talked off the bridge
The officer continues: ‘We have to do this carefully, because it is raining, it is super slippery. I care about your safety and that of my partners.”
The video then cuts to the man, wearing dark blue trousers, boots and a gray top, being lowered safely by the officers, who are tied to the bridge’s steelwork.
Imagery shared on Residentshows the number of police units that responded to the call, with flashing lights illuminating the bridge.
In a statement, the NYPD said: “On September 24, 2023 at 5:23 p.m., Emergency Service Unit officers responded to 911 calls of a distraught man threatening to jump from the Williamsburg Bridge.
‘Hung hundreds of meters above the water, undeterred by the dangerous rainy conditions, they were able to get the person to safety.
The officers encountered heavy rain that made the bridge slippery
Emergency services officers, pictured here, responded to the call and brought the man to safety
‘If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, counselors are available 24/7 to support you. Just call 988.
“If someone is in immediate risk of harming themselves, or is in immediate danger due to a health condition, call 911.”
In 2018, the NYPD received a similar call and spoke with a man for 75 minutes before they managed to get him off the bridge safely.
Law enforcement officers found the “extremely emotionally disturbed” man standing on wires when they arrived at the Manhattan side of the bridge.