Girl Nearly Falls To Death From Bridge In Bergen County, Rescued By Police: Cops

ELMWOOD PARK, NJ — A young girl nearly fell 40 feet to her death from a bridge suspended over heavily trafficked Route 20 on Wednesday.

"In 34 years in law enforcement, I never felt so helpless in an emergency situation than I did today," Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said.

At one point, the 15-year-old girl, while standing on the ledge of the Broadway bridge, lost her footing and was hanging in midair, with her hand gripping the chain-link fence on one side and clutching the fingers of Detective Nick Dimovski on the other side.

"It was extremely nerve racking because we thought we were going to lose her," Foligno said.

Just as the girl began to lose hold, firefighter Eddie Jimenez grabbed onto her and towed her onto an aerial ladder with the help of firefighter Lucas Zarate. A Paterson aerial truck positioned itself just below the victim, and she started to lose her grip as the ladder got nearer to her.

"If not for the heroic acts of Detective Dimovski, and Firefighters Jimenez and Zarate the victim would have fallen to her death," Foligno said. " They acted calmly and professionally in a life-and-death situation, and, without a doubt, saved a young person's life today."

The girl was taken to the hospital and escaped without physical injury, Foligno said.

Dimovski engaged the apparently suicidal girl in conversation, intertwining his fingers with hers through the fence, while police tried to figure out how to get to her.

Police could not get to her from the side of the fence, which was eight-feet high and curved on top to prevent people from climbing on it, and the aerial was called to assist.

"These three individuals — Dimovski, Jimenez and Zarate — are heroes as well as all of the other officers and firefighters that supported the operation," Foligno said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The state also has a list of mental health resources for young adults at https://covid19.nj.gov/pages/y...