Hero fisherman pulls woman to safety after she jumped from Louisiana bridge
The incident unfolded Thursday morning when a woman stopped along the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway – a long, parallel bridge that stretches 24 miles across the lake.
It is one of the longest bridges in the world and is connected by seven crossover points.
Causeway general manager Carlton Dufrechou told The Independent Friday that the woman, 31, parked her white SUV four miles from the north shore along the bridge, at around 10 a.m., before she jumped off the railings.
Traffic came to a sudden halt on the southbound lane as emergency vehicles dashed to the water rescue. A commuter, who witnessed the jump, called the bridge operator to alert them about the incident.
The drop from the bridge is roughly 25 feet to the water below.
Fortunately, local fisherman Christopher Baughman, 36, from Ponchatoula, Louisiana, was fishing below when he heard the commotion and leapt into action to save the woman.
Baughman managed to retrieve her from the water successfully. She was then rushed to a local hospital in the St. Tammany Parish area.
'He may not have caught many fish yesterday, but he certainly made a terrific save helping this lady – a terrific catch,' Dufrechou said.
'She went over, and from what I understand, the man fishing heard her and got to her in a matter of minutes," Dufrechou said.
He stressed that the incident was a case of being in the right place at the right time, and added that officials were still waiting on a health update regarding the woman.
Conditions on the lake, at the time she jumped, had been slightly breezy and choppy, he added.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. In the UK, people having mental health crises can contact the Samaritans at 116 123 or jo@samaritans.org
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