Possible Suicide Prevented At Walkway Over The Hudson

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — A man who was possibly suicidal sitting on a steel beam underneath the Walkway Over the Hudson was talked down Monday by officers from the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department.

Around 3:20 p.m. Monday, a police dispatcher received a call from the United States Coast Guard reporting that a boater had alerted them to a person on the under-structure of the Walkway, which is pedestrian bridge and a state park.

Patrol units were sent to the bridge and began searching the area, police said, eventually finding the man mid-span sitting on a steel beam beneath the walking surface.

Officers using crisis intervention training began talking to the man and convinced him to climb back up onto the bridge.

The man was taken to Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital by officers who assisted with the intake process before turning him over to hospital staff for evaluation by mental health professionals.

Officers were assisted by the Poughkeepsie Fire Department and Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Marine Units as well as the New York State Park Police.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the Dutchess County HELPLINE at 845-485-9700. Mental Health America of Dutchess County is a great resource for free and confidential services.