The rescue effort occurred Friday morning at the Victory Bridge connecting Perth Amboy and Sayreville Watch video
PERTH AMBOY -- Perth Amboy police and firefighters immediately rescued a 25-year-old man who jumped into the Raritan River on Friday morning from the Victory Bridge, a location with a history of suicide attempts, city officials said.
The rescue effort occurred when several hours of negotiations with police officers on the bridge ended with the man leaping into the water below, according to a statement from Perth Amboy Deputy Chief Lawrence Cattano.
By that point, the city's marine units were already in place to rescue the man, Cattano said.
"Fortunately, the outstanding coordination between all Police and Fire Units involved allowed for the immediate rescue efforts and to bring it to its conclusion as safely as possible," Cattano said.
The city's police department initially received a call at about 8:45 a.m. Friday about a man on the southbound side of the bridge who was standing on the outside of the railing and looking to jump, Cattano said.
A police sergeant soon arrived at the scene and established a dialogue with the man, Cattano said. The sergeant was accompanied by other police officers from Perth Amboy and Sayreville, Cattano said. The man was upset and threatening to jump into the river, Cattano said.
Authorities closed the bridge to vehicular traffic and marine units from the Perth Amboy police and fire departments set up positions in the water, Cattano said.
But the negotiations ended about 11:15 a.m., Cattano said.
"The individual indicated that he wanted to come over the rail to safety, then abruptly fought and pushed the assisting officers away and jumped to the water below," Cattano said.
The police and fire marine units immediately pulled the man out of the water and placed him aboard a fire vessel, where they provided medical assistance to him before turning the man over to EMS units on the shore, Cattano said.
The state-owned bridge, which carries Route 35 over the river from Perth Amboy to Sayreville, has been a popular destination for people seeking to end their live, leading to its nickname, the "suicide bridge."
In 2014, state contractors installed a fence along the rails of the bridge, a measure that city officials hoped would make suicide attempts more difficult.
Bill Wichert may be reached at bwichert@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BillWichertNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.