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Life Saving Incident

February 8, 2021
California
Tuolomne County
Unincorporated

A man trying to jump off a Northern California bridge Monday was saved when a sheriff’s deputy gripped his arm as the man dangled 150 feet above the waters of a lake, authorities said. The man was pulled back over the railing and taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation. The Tuolomne County Sheriff’s Office received a report shortly after midnight that a man had threatened to jump off a local bridge, prompting repeated checks by several agencies of two bridges in the Sierra Nevada area, the office said. Shortly before 3 a.m., the man’s car was found near the Parrotts Ferry bridge, which soars over the New Melones Lake near the unincorporated community of Vallecito. At about 7 a.m., a boat patrol and deputies from both Tuolomne and Calaveras County sheriff’s offices began another search, and three hours later the man was found standing on the bridge, authorities said. Authorities talked to the man for about 10 minutes but then he climbed over the railing and tried to jump, authorities said. Tuolomne County sheriff’s Cpl. Andrew Long lunged through the railing and grabbed the man by one arm, holding on for about 30 seconds as he dangled over the water. Calaveras County Deputy Jason Markovitz then came to help. They and other members of the Tuolomne County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue unit then pulled the man to safety, the Tuolomne County Sheriff’s Office statement said. No one was hurt. “We want to thank all of our allied agencies and the heroic work of all law enforcement personnel today. Your bravery, dedication and persistence saved a life,” the statement said.

The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.