Secaucus Police Save Woman From Jumping Off Rt. 3 Bridge

SECAUCUS, NJ — Two Secaucus police officers are being hailed as heroes after they successfully stopped a woman who tried to jump off the Rt. 3 bridge early Wednesday morning, April 10.

The incident all unfolded at 3:12 a.m. today. The woman, age 22, is from the Bronx. Secaucus police received a 911 call from someone driving by who stated that they saw a woman on the Rt. 3 eastbound bridge looking over the railing.

When police officer George Sikaffy got there, the woman had her leg over the side of the guardrail, clearly intending to jump off the bridge into the Hackensack River below. In that split second, Officer Sikaffy grabbed her jacket and pulled her to roadway, thereby preventing her from jumping.

Demonstrating a clear intent to end her life, she began to struggle with Sikaffy on the side of Rt. 3 — while cars were zooming by. She was trying to break free of his hold while shouting suicidal statements, police said in a press release about the incident. Police officer Jonathan Padron arrived immediately thereafter and was able to assist in restraining the woman.

The two officers rushed the woman into an awaiting police car and transported her off the bridge to a safe location to await the arrival of an ambulance.

The 22-year-old woman of the Bronx was involuntarily transported to Christ Hospital in Jersey City for a mental health evaluation. No criminal charges have been filed.

Secaucus police said they did not know how high the Rt. 3 bridge is.

People experiencing suicidal thoughts can find support at the below resources:

· National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 800-273-TALK (8255)

· Tlc4teens.org: A website created by the Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth, which includes organizations, hotlines and relevant articles that have been vetted by TLC

· Call or text 2NDFLOOR — a confidential and anonymous helpline for New Jersey youth and young adults, ages 10 to 24, at 888-222-2228. It is staffed 24 hours a day.

· NJ Hopeline: 855-NJ-HOPELINE at 855-654-6735