If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this one has a lot to say.
A Tuolumne County Sheriff’s corporal is being hailed a hero after he incredibly caught a man midair as he tried to jump off a bridge on Monday morning.
According to the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened after deputies initially received a report of a man threatening to jump from "a local bridge" several hours earlier. After checking both the Parrotts Ferry Bridge, which sits over New Melones Lake about 90 minutes northeast of Modesto, and another bridge nearby, deputies were unable to locate anyone.
They checked the area several more times, eventually finding an abandoned car by the Parrotts Ferry Bridge at about 3 a.m. Monday. On another sweep, they located the unidentified man at the same bridge at about 10 a.m.
Corporal Andrew Long negotiated with the man for about 10 minutes before he tried to jump into the lake about 150 feet below. As he fell, Long grabbed the man through the railing and held him as he dangled for 30 seconds.
Another officer helped pull him back over the railing to safety.
The man was taken to a local hospital for evaluation but wasn’t hurt.
"We want to thank all of our allied agencies and the heroic work of all law enforcement personnel today," said a Facebook post from the department. "Your bravery, dedication and persistence saved a life."
The California Highway Patrol, Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office and Angels Camp Police Department assisted.
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