By Greta Stuckey
syracuse.com
AUBURN, N.Y. — An Auburn police officer jumped into frigid water to save a person in a mental health crisis.
Around 5:39 p.m. Thursday , the person jumped off the Lake Avenue bridge into the Owasco River and began screaming for help, Auburn police said in a news release Tuesday.
The water temperature was about 35 degrees, with an air temperature around 49 degrees and light rain.
Officers Edward Pickard and Lucas Drancsak were the first to arrive and spotted the person in the water. The officers ran to the south shoreline, climbed down a 10-foot concrete wall and began removing their vests and duty belts.
Officer Pickard went into the water and swam toward the person, who was about 15 yards from shore, police said. He grabbed them by the upper torso and began pulling them back.
At one point, Pickard went underwater but continued to pull the person toward shore, police said.
Pickard brought the person to the shoreline, where Officer Drancsak helped pull them fully onto land.
Drancsak alerted responding crews and coordinated care for both the rescued person and Pickard.
Auburn City Ambulance and the Auburn Fire Department moved the person to the road, where they were taken to Auburn Community Hospital for treatment.
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