Fort Bragg Police Officer Successfully Intervenes as a Woman Attempts to Jump off the Noyo Bridge

The following is a press release composed by John Naulty, the Chief of the Fort Bragg Police Department:

On June 21, 2022 at approximately 1030 hours this morning several persons called
police dispatch to report a female adult was attempting to crawl over the bridge railing of
the Noyo Bridge.

Fort Bragg Officers responded as well as Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department
personnel, officers observed the adult distressed female with one leg over the bridge railing.

Arriving officers contacted and began communicating with the female victim. Fort Bragg Police Officer Padraic Ferris approached the female victim from behind, while she communicated with initial arriving officers. Officer Ferris was able to rush towards the female victim grab her around the waist and safely pull her away from the railing to the pedestrian walkway.

The female victim was then transported to the Mendocino Coast Adventist Hospital for a
mental health evaluation.

This action of Officer Ferris, and all of the officers/deputies on scene, prevented the
near death of a distraught female, I commend them all for their swift action!

- Advertisement -

If you are in crisis or know of someone who might be in crisis please call the crisis line
at (855) 838-0404, someone is at this number 24 hours 7 days a week, or call the Fort Bragg Police Department emergency phone at (707) 964-0200 we can provide a live person to speak to or resources. Please remember your actions affect so many other
persons so at least allow us to listen to your crisis to provide a positive outcome.

Editor’s Note

We want to recognize Fort Bragg Police Department’s willingness to tell the public about their encounters with suicide. The silence around suicide stands in stark contrast to the ubiquity of our community’s experience with mental illness and deaths of despair. Preventing suicide begins with a realistic and compassionate conversation about the problem and Fort Bragg Police is helping our community start that conversation.

Many aspects of the Emerald Triangle’s rural lifestyle lend themselves to suicide risk factors. Those risk factors, as described by the Center for Disease Control, include barriers to health care, social isolation, and high rates of adverse childhood experiences, 

Please remember, if you or a loved one are suffering from mental distress there are many resources that can be accessed including:

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): 1-800-950-6264, info@nami.org
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): (800) 662-4357
• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): (866) 615-6464
• Mental Health America Hotline: Text MHA to 741741
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
• Crisis Text Line: Text CONNECT to 741741

In efforts to educate the public regarding suicide prevention, the following infographic from the National Institute of Mental Health provides guidance in warning signs associated with suicide:

Another resource we would like to offer is a comprehensive list of resources to help those in need provided to us by the Mendocino County Branch of the National Association of Mental Illness:

- Advertisement -