Man Threatening to Jump Stops Traffic on Thomas Bridge
Relatives, clergymen, a psychologist and firefighters were pleading early today with a 40-year-old man who had been clinging for nine hours to a support cable of the Vincent Thomas Bridge over the Los Angeles Harbor Main Channel at San Pedro, threatening to jump from his 185-foot-high perch.
Traffic had been prohibited on the 1,500-foot span since 4 p.m. Monday, when the man was first spotted by a motorist. The shutdown caused a huge rush-hour traffic jam in the harbor area, California Highway Patrol officers reported.
As the night progressed, icy winds whipped up, chilling the party of would-be rescuers who were gathered below the man on the cable.
Two city fireboats, a Harbor Department patrol boat and others were stationed below the bridge as various persons, including a Los Angeles police department psychologist, tried to talk the man to safety, police Sgt. J. H. Rilling said. Officers could not immediately say what was troubling the man, but relatives reported he had taken an overdose of pills about a year ago.
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