Bridge jump thwarted

POLSON — A woman threatening to jump off the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge in Polson last Tuesday afternoon brought the busy juncture to a standstill as Polson police tried to coax her down.

After someone stopped in Polson City Hall to tell police they believed the woman might jump, the department responded, shutting down the bridge to all traffic while working to convince her not to jump.

While suicide is not an easy topic, the use of public places to do such a thing creates an onus on the people who protect the community to prevent that from happening. Police administrators agree it is an experience that can be stressful and traumatic for all those involved.

Polson Assistant Police Chief John Stevens said that in his 21 years of service in Polson, this was the first time he’d experienced someone attempting to jump off the bridge to intentionally harm themselves. Stevens was one of the first on the scene and worked with PPD officer Chris Wright to get into position to grab the woman before she could jump.

The woman was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center, and the bridge was reopened to traffic.

“Chris Wright was a counselor before he came here, so he has great skill at talking with people that are really distraught,” Polson Police Chief Doug Chase said of the 15-minute ordeal. “I am so proud of John and Chris’ work.”

The event on Jan. 19 included responses by the Polson Police Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Tribal Police, Polson Ambulance and the Polson Fire Department, which was notified to activate the fire department’s rescue boat. Polson police assistant Brian Kunz, one of the responders and responsible for blocking off the south end of the bridge, said all these Lake County organizations work well together.

“It’s something we do very frequently, whether we’re working with EMS, fire, sheriff’s office or Flathead Tribal police,” Kunz, who has been with the PPD since 2004, said. “We’re a very close knit bunch with exceptional camaraderie, and so it’s like old hat, we work very well together. It’s like an extension of our office. It’s great that we feel comfortable enough and have a great working relationship.”

That close relationship was on full display during the attempted suicide response.

Kunz and PPD were responsible for blocking the south end of the Armed Forces Memorial Bridge, an end that is still within Polson city limits. On the north end, the LCSO closed off the bridge to traffic, a piece of U.S. Highway 93 that is within their jurisdictional limit.

Chase said considering all the different entities working together, the end result was a great success.

“It takes the occurrence to be happening to make the call on how it’s going to go down,” Chase said.

In the summer, people sometimes jump off the bridge for fun, Kunz said. It’s something the department doesn’t condone but knows happens from time to time. He said that in the winter, the main concern about a potential jumper would be the affects of the cold water temperature, in which a long exposure could result in hypothermia. The shal-low water depth could also result in serious injuries, though not necessarily fatal ones.

Kunz said this was the first suicide attempt he’d heard of in his six years with the department, but emphasized that police have to be ready for any situation, at any time.

“We’re not just the bad guys that write speeding tickets,” Kunz said. “We’re here for public safety, for the whole community.”