Police officer saves teen's life with a bear hug on Burrard Bridge

[daftandbarmy]

Damn.... that's some good work, right there:


Part training, part instinct, Const. Brad Mears’ quick action on April 17 saved a teenager’s life.

Mears was alone on duty that Saturday, midway through his shift and parked beneath the Burrard Bridge to fill out a report from an earlier incident, when a call came over his radio. Several people had phoned 911 to report a distraught-looking young man climbing the fencing on the bridge above.

The constable drove to the spot as fast as he could.

“At that point, I realized I’m the only one going, and working alone,” Mears said over the phone from the Vancouver Police Department. “As I drive up, I see him climbing the fencing.”

Mears stopped his car and realized the person, who turned out to be a teenage male, hadn’t seen or heard him yet as he continued to climb.

“So I take that opportunity, realizing he’s still climbing up, I run up to him. He still doesn’t see me and I grab him by the waist.”

Mears had him in a bear hug from behind, telling him he’s the police, pleading with him not to jump, not to do it.

“He’s begging me: ‘Hey man, let me die, let me jump.’ ”

As Mears had him around the waist, the teen continued to struggle and try to climb. This went on for a couple of minutes until another squad car could arrive and another officer could pry the teen’s hands off the railing. “I just feel I have to help this guy.”

Mears, 26, has been with the Vancouver Police Department for a year, after four years serving with the force in Delta, which deals with similar situations all too often on the Alex Fraser Bridge.

Police officer saves teen's life with a bear hug on Burrard Bridge

VANCOUVER — Part training, part instinct, Const. Brad Mears’ quick action on April 17 saved a teenager’s life.

www.timescolonist.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Good on the cop. I have had to stop twice on that bridge to stop people from jumping. Both times they were well known to EHS, seems they get take to St Pauls nearby and then released and then they try again. The CCG base there has responded to many, many calls, some with my friend doing his rounds looking up to see people falling or a splash. Generally if you don't hit the protection piers it's likely you survive the fall from that bridge. Before I joined CCG, my buddy had rescued a guy that jumped twice off the Lions Gate bridge without even a bruise, the 2nd time my friend said to him; "Take the hint it's not your time". I have pulled a guy out of the Fraser on his third attempt, so 24hrs later the hospital release him and he succeeds on his 4th.

 

[mariomike]

We had a young lady on a subway station platform. Possibly a potential jumper. Who knows? At any rate, she wasn't getting on any trains. My partner says, "If you jump, we have to go down there and pick up the pieces. Is that fair?" ( Not sure if that is what the official Suicide Prevention handbook would advise, but it had the desired effect. )

So I asked what was on her mind. She said, if just one person had smiled at her, she wouldn't have gone down there.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Good on the cop. I have had to stop twice on that bridge to stop people from jumping. Both times they were well known to EHS, seems they get take to St Pauls nearby and then released and then they try again. The CCG base there has responded to many, many calls, some with my friend doing his rounds looking up to see people falling or a splash. Generally if you don't hit the protection piers it's likely you survive the fall from that bridge. Before I joined CCG, my buddy had rescued a guy that jumped twice off the Lions Gate bridge without even a bruise, the 2nd time my friend said to him; "Take the hint it's not your time". I have pulled a guy out of the Fraser on his third attempt, so 24hrs later the hospital release him and he succeeds on his 4th.

There's a reason for all those running shoes, with feet in them, turning up on beaches around Georgia Strait....

 

[Colin Parkinson]

We used to call the Fraser River the "Hell's Angel Retirement Home" from all the unreported dead bikers we pulled out of it.

 

[mariomike]

Our Marine Unit paramedics used to tell us the "floaters" they fished out of Lake Ontario this time of year were a sure sign of Spring.

 

[RedFive]

I have been out on the Port Mann Bridge a couple times to collect some folks whose minds weren't quite made up.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Saddest thing I witnessed was watching a potentiel jumper on the Port Mann, who the police convinced her to come back over the railing and in the process, slipped and fell. Despite watching her drop, by the time we got to the spot she had disappeared. I can imagine how the cop felt as well.