SAVANNAH, GA – Two Savannah Police officers jumped into freezing waters Feb. 8 and rescued a drowning woman who had jumped off of the Forest River Bridge.
Around 5:15 p.m. officers were dispatched to the Forest River Bridge, located at Abercorn Street and Heroes Way, after someone witnessed a woman leaning far over the bridge. When officers arrived, the woman had already jumped into the river and could not been seen. Additional SPD officers, Chatham County Police officers, firefighters and EMS responded to the scene in an attempt to locate the woman. Residents who lived in the area assisted with the search efforts and allowed officers to search the water from their boats.
After searching the area for some time, officers heard gurgling and found that the woman was under the water under the dock that some of them were standing on. The officers on the dock attempted to pull her up but were unsuccessful. Understanding that time was of the essence and the woman had been under the freezing water for some time, two officers – Sgt. Sharif Lockett and Officer William Fitzpatrick – jumped into the water and collectively worked to pull the woman onto the dock.
She was treated at the scene by EMS.
“We are so proud of all of the officers involved for their joint rescue actions,” Chief Roy Minter said. “It was definitely a team effort for all officers, first responders and citizens involved — from the extensive search to the rescue. We know that had these officers not responded and acted so quickly that this could have had a tragic outcome.”
