Hamilton man recovering after jumping from Columbia Bridge

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A Hamilton man is recovering after jumping from the Columbia Bridge on Wednesday night.

Police were called to the bridge at about 7:50 p.m. by a passerby who reported seeing a man getting ready to jump, Hamilton Police Sgt. Brian Robinson told this news outlet.

MORE: Career criminal in prison after 95-year-old woman stops burglary

When officers arrived, a 25-year-old man was straddling the railing of the bridge that crosses the Great Miami River. The man said he was distraught after an argument with his girlfriend, according to police.

Police officers tried to talk the man out of the suicide attempt, but at about 8:30 p.m., he jumped from the bridge and into the river, Robinson said.

MORE: Train strike in Hamilton leaves one with life-threatening injuries

The Hamilton Fire Department was waiting with boats to rescue the man.

The river’s current pulled the man under several times as he was carried about 150 yards south of the bridge. At one point it appeared that he was trying to get to the west shoreline, but the current was too swift, police said.

MORE: Middletown store robbed at gunpoint

When the fire department was able to pull the man to safety, he was suffering from hypothermia.

He was taken to Fort Hamilton Hospital for treatment and psychological evaluation.

About the Author