Woman with Taser Survives Jump into IL River

June 3, 2019
Peoria rescue divers pulled a woman from the Illinois River on Sunday after firefighters tried to negotiate with her for more than three hours underneath a steel bridge.

PEORIA, IL—A woman survived a jump from the Murray Baker Bridge into the swollen Illinois River on Sunday afternoon after spending more than three hours talking with authorities while armed with a taser and moving about on steel beams beneath the bridge.

A fire department spokesman described her injuries as non life-threatening, and she was rushed to a downtown hospital.

The woman positioned herself on the bridge supports at 12:57 p.m. Initial firefighting crews were unable to reach her from the deck of the bridge so the Peoria Fire Department Technical Rescue Team was called.

"Firefighters repelled down to make contact with the subject and try to rescue her," read the Fire Department's report issued Sunday night.

The Rescue Team also responded with two dive rescue boats and rescue divers and positioned themselves under the bridge. Meanwhile, the repelling firefighters began a negotiation with the woman.

"The female was unwilling to accept assistance from the Rescue Team and was also armed with a taser, which made close contact a risk to firefighters and the female," the report said. "After close to three hours of negotiating, the female jumped from the bridge landing in the water below. The quick actions of the waiting Dive Rescue Team allowed for a water rescue in under one minute."

The woman was ashore and placed in a waiting ambulance in less than three minutes, according to the report.

Shortly after the woman was spotted under the bridge, vehicle traffic on the Murray Baker was closed in both directions.

The scene was cleared by 4:23 p.m., when the bridge was re-opened to traffic.

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©2019 the Journal Star (Peoria, Ill.)

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