NY cops rescue distraught thruway jumper as he dangled in mid-air
Heart-pounding bodycam video captured the instant Yonkers cops grabbed a distraught man as he jumped off a thruway overpass — and dangled in the air as traffic whizzed by beneath him.
The dramatic footage, posted on Facebook by the Yonkers Police Department, shows more than a half-dozen cops trying to coax the unidentified man away from the guardrail near Yonkers Raceway around 3:30 a.m. on Thursday.
The would-be jumper — wearing sandals, dark pants and a hoodie — could be seen with his head slumped as he leans on the railing over Interstate 87. Yonkers officers Michael Heath and Sandro Vazquez pleaded with him to step away.
“I’m here to help,” Vazquez tells the man.
Heath then chimes in.
“Let’s talk about whatever’s going on, then we’ll leave. You understand? But we can’t leave while you’re here, standing next to the railing. It’s a dangerous situation. That’s why we’re here.”
As he continues trying to soothe him, he extends his hand to the man, who initially appears to be reaching to take it — but instead unexpectedly jumps over the railing as cars zip by below.
The cops react instantly, grabbing the jumper in a split second and keeping him from falling to the pavement below, even as his feet dangle in mid-air.
They then pull the man to safety.
“Good, compassionate work by our Yonkers Police saved this individual and motorists from potential injury or worse,” Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano said in a statement.
“I applaud our skillful officers who stepped in with precision,” he said. “Mental health continues to affect communities across the country, and, in Yonkers, we are fortunate to have resources and support to properly train our officers so they can assist those in need.”
Yonkers police did not identify the man nor provide details on his status after the incident.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
