The agency that oversees the George Washington Bridge said two of its rookie police officers rescued a distraught woman who was threatening to leap to her death.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Officers Samantha Koch and Terence McPike became concerned when they saw the 26-year-old woman, in a full-length fur coat, lingering on the bridge's south walkway around 4 p.m. Monday.
The officers approached her. She told them, through tears, that she had a lot of problems and planned to kill herself.
The Port Authority said Koch and McPike persuaded the woman to accept help. She was taken to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.
The episode marked the Port Authority's 74th suicide intervention this year, double the number last year.
SUICIDE PREVENTION: If you know someone who needs help, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
