Thanks to the heroic efforts of Newport Police Sergeant Gregory Belcher and Officer Ian McGregor, a 46-year-old Newport man was saved from a suicide attempt atop the Newport Pell Bridge.
At 8am on Monday, officers from the Newport and Jamestown Police Departments were dispatched to the Newport Pell Bridge for a report of a male party climbing the outside cable to the top tower of the center bridge span. Once on scene, Officer Ian McGregor was able to make contact with the man on his cellphone where he began to develop a rapport and crisis manage the potentially fatal situation. After the Rhode Island State Police arrived on scene, it was determined the Sergeant Gregory Belcher of the Newport Police Department would climb to the top of the tower where the suicidal man was now sitting with his feet hanging over the edge. Sgt. Belcher was able to begin a short dialogue to gain the trust of the despondent man and after a few minutes he was able to convince him not to jump. Thanks to the heroic efforts of these officers, the man is now in Newport Hospital for evaluation and treatment!
Great work, gentlemen!
