Aerial Used to Rescue Woman From Minn. Bridge
Source St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)
Police crisis negotiators helped a woman down from atop the Robert Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul Sunday afternoon.
A passerby reported to police that a woman was climbing one of the bridge's soaring concrete arches just before 2 p.m., according to police. When police arrived, the 20-year-old woman had reached the peak of the arch and was seated, police spokesman Howie Padilla said.
St. Paul police, fire, and crisis teams as well as the Ramsey County sheriff's department and water patrol assisted at the bridge.
Crisis negotiators talked to the woman and helped her off of the arch and into a fire department aerial platform by about 3:15 p.m. First responders covered her in blankets and took her to Regions Hospital by ambulance, Padilla said.
During the negotiations, police removed one onlooker from the bridge who had been taunting the woman to jump.
Police did not confirm whether the act was a suicide attempt.
"We know that it was not for recreation," Padilla said.
