Deputies came to the aid of a woman attempting to jump from I-5 Freeway overpass.
By KIMBERLY EDDS
The Orange County Register
DANA POINT – A 39-year-old woman was rescued from a freeway overpass as she tried to jump to her death on the I-5 at Via California during afternoon rush hour Monday, snarling traffic for miles.
About 5 p.m., a man passing by apparently saw the woman perched on a 4-inch-wide ledge above the freeway and climbed over the chain-link fence to help her, said Lt. Kurt Vasentine of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. A California Highway Patrol officer saw the situation and climbed over the fence to help the man keep the distraught woman from jumping from the ledge.
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An informant reported a female subject who appeared to be preparing to jump from the Via California overpass onto the I-5 freeway. Deputies responded to the scene, and saw a male civilian had already climbed over the fence onto the ledge to assist the female, who was struggling with the male. Deputies L. Packard and Deputy P. Kinney slid a cord through the fence, and with the assistance of the civilian, wrapped it around the female and secured her to the fence. CHP Officer Stoney, also at the scene, climbed over the fence to take over for the civilian, who then climbed back to safety. Dep. Kinney assisted Officer Stoney in handcuffing the female, who was still struggling and fighting, to the fence. Deputies then used bolt cutters to cut a hole in the fence to allow Dep. Kinney to go out on the ledge and assist Officer Stoney in restraining the female, who at times was letting her feet fall from the ledge, being held only by the cord and officers. The remaining deputies then cut a hole in the fence directly in front of the female, and pulled her to safety. The female, a 39 year old Dana Point resident, was taken to Mission Hospital for treatment and evaluation. CHP assisted by shutting down the freeway, and OC Fire responded a ladder truck, which ultimately was not utilized. Sgt. Wren supervised.