California Highway Patrolman

California Highway Patrol

5/21/1974

Special Act Award (Gold)

Officer Noble received a call about a subject on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The officer found the subject’s vehicle approximately 150 yards west of the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel and two citizens on the bridge were waving their arms and pointing over the bridge. The Officer looked over the side and saw the subject standing on the bridge approximately eight feet below the roadway surface. Officer Noble climbed over the side and came within approximately 12 feet of the subject. The subject was very apprehensive at Officer Noble’s presence. Officer Noble removed his gunbelt and sunglasses and began to talk to the subject. The subject was very depressed due to family problems. Officer Noble conversed with him for approximately 45 minutes when the subject stretched out on the bridge with his hands on an upper beam and his feet still on the lower beam, closed his eyes and begin to cry. A bridge employee moved to a point where the subject could not see him and when the subject’s eyes were closed, Officer Noble moved across the structure and put a bear hug around the subject with the bridge employee’s help. They wrapped a rope around the subject’s ankles, hauled him to the roadway and then took him to the hospital.