East Bay firefighters rescue distraught woman in dramatic video
East Bay firefighters rescue distraught woman in dramatic video A group of Alameda County firefighters heading back to their station Tuesday after dealing with an oil spill spotted another emergency on an Emeryville street: a visibly distraught woman sitting on the edge of an overpass, her feet dangling toward the busy traffic below. Engine 34 firefighters came upon the woman about 10:30 a.m., got out of the truck and diverted vehicles on Powell Street to prevent passing motorists from getting hurt if she were to jump. Another crew from Engine 35 happened to be in the area and drove over to lend a hand. In a video that captured the incident, firefighters below the overpass were speaking with the woman when she swung one of her legs back over and straddled the edge so that her back was to Cooper and Hall, who had stealthily made their way onto the overpass. The entire rescue, from the first engine pulling over to getting her off the edge, happened under five minutes — before police or California Highway Patrol officers got to the scene. Later in the day, as CHP officers were leaving their office parking lot at Eighth and Bryant streets in San Francisco, they spotted a man dangling over Interstate 80, hanging onto a rail by his hands.