Karen Kucher
The San Diego Union-Tribune
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — A suicidal woman who was threatening to jump off the Pine Valley Bridge on Interstate 8 was aided by a Border Patrol agent and an off-duty firefighter Tuesday morning, officials said.
The woman was standing on the rails of the bridge near the westbound traffic lanes around 7 a.m. when a Border Patrol agent drove by. The agent quickly turned around and was joined by an off-duty firefighter who came to the woman’s assistance, according to a Border Patrol news release.
A Border Patrol official said it was believed the off-duty firefighter works for Cal Fire.
The agent and off-duty firefighter physically removed the woman from the bridge and “secured her for her safety,” the Border Patrol statement said.
California Highway Patrol officers responded to the scene. It wasn’t immediately known what happened to the woman.
“A tragedy was avoided today thanks to the efforts of these heroes,” Chief Patrol Agent Aaron Heitke said in a statement. “Even though border security is our primary mission, our agents respond to a multitude of significant events in the areas they patrol and consistently rise to the challenge.”
This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.
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