Two Saskatoon police officers risked their lives to pull a man out of the raging South Saskatchewan River Friday afternoon.
A 22-year-old man from Cumberland House jumped from the train bridge, and according to police, he wasn’t suicidal.
“A male fell off the train bridge. Two of our officers were up on Spadina and they were able to go to the water, they were able to chain themselves and pull him in,” said police spokesperson, Kelsie Fraser.
Witnesses said they saw the man with a group of people who appeared to be encouraging the man to take the plunge off the bridge. “They were saying stuff like ‘don’t push me’. They were goofing around,” said Brad Bemis, the jogger who called 911.
“We saw the splash, he was just over by the two poles there. They were cheering him on,” said Joyce Clouatre, another witness.
Jumping from the ledge is the equivalent of jumping off a six story building, and hitting the water can cause blunt force injuries or knock a person unconscious.
The two police officers who went in after the man may have saved his life.
While why the man went over the edge is unclear, Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services said he wasn’t pushed. “He went in on his volition, and it wasn’t a good idea,” said the fire department’s battalion chief, Andy Kotelmach.
The incident is still under investigation and police said charges are pending.