Bodycam shows NYPD cop scaling the Williamsburg Bridge to coax down a distraught man from jumping
By: Nail-biting bodycam footage shows the moment an NYPD cop scaled the Williamsburg Bridge in the pouring rain to rescue a distraught man threatening to jump.
Officers responded to numerous 911 calls after the man was spotted on top of the bridge, which at its center sits 135 feet above the East River, shortly after 5pm on Sunday.
In the video which was released by the NYPD, officers can be seen scaling the bridge, which is being drenched in rain after post-tropical storm Ophelia hit the East Coast.
One officer can be heard telling the man: 'My man, talk to me. I am here to help you, man, talk to me. What's your name?
'Whatever you are going through, it happens to all of us man, you know. But we gotta get you down from here.'
The officer continues: 'We got to do this carefully because it is raining, it is super slippery. I care about your safety and my partners.'
The video then cuts to the man, wearing dark blue pants, boots and a gray top, being safely lowered by the officers, who are harnessed into the steelwork of the bridge.
Footage shared on Citizen, shows the number of police units that responded to the call, with flashing lights lighting up the bridge.
In a statement, the NYPD said: 'On 9/24/23 at 5:23pm, Emergency Service Unit officers responded to 911 calls of a distraught man threatening to jump off the Williamsburg Bridge.
'Suspended hundreds of feet above the water, they remained undeterred by the dangerous rainy conditions, and were able to talk the person down to safety.