Firefighters Rescue Woman Attempting To Jump In The Merrimack River

MANCHESTER, NH — Manchester firefighters, police, and AMR medics worked together on an extensive rescue of a woman who was having a mental health issue near the banks of the Merrimack River Thursday.

AMR Ambulance was dispatched to 780 North Commercial St. just before noon for a woman's well-being check on the Merrimack River's edge. AMR medics entered the Eversource building and viewed the woman who had gone over a concrete wall and was on the shore of the river, which had strong and rapid currents.

Several additional resources were assigned to the call, including boats, ladder trucks, and additional EMS resources. Manchester firefighters, securing themselves with ropes, approached the shoreline where the woman was; she was combative and refused assistance. The woman began leaving the shoreline and entering the river when firefighters attempted to distract her.

Truck 1 was set up at the scene, which allowed additional ropes to be secured to the back of the truck and to lower firefighters in the bucket to get closer to the woman.

The woman, armed with rocks, began hitting firefighters; police went over the concrete barrier and attempted to secure the woman. After an extended time, the woman was brought to the ground and secured in handcuffs for her safety as well as the responders. The woman was placed in a stokes basket and secured and brought up over the wall by Truck 1 personnel.

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After bringing the woman over the wall into the parking lot, she was transferred to a waiting stretcher and once again secured as she continued to fight responders. She was transported to a local hospital by AMR and police for medical and mental health evaluation.

One lieutenant from Rescue 1 received several injuries from the woman striking him with rocks. He was treated at the scene and will receive a follow-up evaluation.

©Jeffrey Hastings www.frameofmindphoto.com/news