THUNDER BAY – NEWS – A woman was rescued from the James Street Bridge on Tuesday night by a police officer and a group of good Samaritans.
The Thunder Bay Police Service’s Primary Response Branch received reports of a woman hanging off the guardrail of the south-side bridge at around 10 p.m. on April 18th.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue and Superior North EMS paramedics were also dispatched to the scene.
Upon arriving at the scene, Cst. Evan Haywood noticed a group of civilians gathered around an area of the bridge, with their arms through the guardrail and holding onto the female, who was in danger of falling into the cold river below.
The woman was experiencing a mental health crisis and was attempting to harm herself.
Cst. Haywood quickly assessed the situation and realized that he needed to act fast. He hopped over the guardrail, putting his own safety at risk, to get better leverage and bring the woman back to safety. With the help of the involved civilians, the officer was able to get the woman back onto the bridge.
Superior North EMS paramedics tended to the woman and transported her to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for further evaluation. The Thunder Bay Police Service expressed their gratitude towards the individuals who risked their own safety to help rescue someone who was a stranger to them.
