SEATTLE — A man experiencing a mental health crisis on the Ship Canal Bridge was rescued by police on Thursday afternoon.
Seattle Police and the Hostage Negotiation Team spoke with the man for over an hour while multiple lanes of I-5 were blocked for safety, according to a release.
Sergeant David Sullivan of the Seattle Police spoke with the man and created a rapport, including telling him about treatment options at the new King County Crisis Center in Kirkland, police said.
“This is a very professional person he is at the VP level in his organization,” Sergeant Sullivan said. “He’s just suffering from a long-term behavioral health condition that he has hidden because of the stigma. It’s just really sad,” he continued.
Sergeant James Kim, who oversees the SPD Hostage Negotiation Team, assisted in talking with the man in crisis. “After he [the man in crisis] climbed over [the guardrail] I gave him a blanket to get warm and we just talked. We talked about our kids; this was somebody I could talk to. It’s hard.”
The man was rescued and the Washington State Patrol commended the multi-agency effort, according to a release.
For resources if you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, call 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis.
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