Intoxicated Man Talked Off Bergen County Railroad Bridge After 'Relationship Issues'

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — An intoxicated man who walked onto a Bergen County railroad bridge after having "relationship issues" was rescued after three hours of negotiations, police said.

Lyndhurst crisis negotiators and the Bergen County Regional SWAT Crisis Negotiation team responded to a railroad bridge above the Passaic River on Saturday morning, said Lyndhurst Deputy Police Chief Paul Haggerty.

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Lyndhurst police arrived first to help the man in crisis. They asked for help from the county "once we realized that operation was headed toward being long-term," Haggerty said on Tuesday.

The county team provided rope equipment to harness officers nearly 50 feet above the Passaic River, he said.

The Lyndhurst Fire Department deployed fire rescue boats downstream, "out of the patient's line of sight" after the arrival of police seemed to agitate the man, he said.

For two hours, police negotiated for the man to come off the bridge, and the county negotiators talked to him for another hour after that, Haggerty said.

"The male was found in crisis and to be heavily intoxicated after a relationship issue that occurred on the previous day," Haggerty said. "He was in fact taken into protective custody after surrendering to me, as I had a previous rapport with him."

Haggerty climbed 40 feet down a service ladder to meet the man on a pier near the bridge, where negotiators were waiting, he said.

Trains were suspended for nearly three hours, he said.

The man was brought to a local hospital for evaluation. The police did not file charges, Haggerty said.

Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis — or any family members concerned about a loved one — can contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 for immediate assistance. For youths, New Jersey also has the Performcare line to help find resources no matter their insurance situation. The state also has mental health resources here.