South County : Patrolman Grabs Man Perched on a Ledge
A California Highway Patrol officer pulled a 42-year-old Long Beach man to safety Monday morning as the man apparently prepared to jump about 40 feet from an overpass onto the northbound Interstate 5 near Capistrano Beach.
The man, who told police he was “tired of being sick,” was distraught but uninjured, according to CHP spokesman Ken Daily. He was taken to Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo after the 9:15 a.m. rescue.
Patrolman Raul Martinez, one of three officers who responded to a motorist report that a man was perched on the railing of the Camino Capistrano ramp, grabbed the man as he teetered forward, Daily said.
“He put his hands over his eyes and started to lean forward as if he would topple off the rail,” Daily said. “Martinez rushed him and pulled him back just in time.”
Two other officers helped to subdue the man until a psychiatric assessment team arrived. Traffic was unaffected by the drama, Daily said.
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