(KLZA)-- A Richardson County Deputy was able to pull a woman off of a railing in the middle of the Missouri River Bridge at Rulo Saturday afternoon.

According to a release from the Richardson County Sheriff’s Department, at about  1:20 p.m. Deputy Sheriff Jonathan Kirkendall, who was off duty, happened to drive by and see a middle-aged woman sitting on the north railing in the middle of the bridge with her feet dangling over the edge. 

Deputy Kirkendall got out of his vehicle and started talking to the woman from a distance. The release indicates it was apparent the woman was upset and having a mental health crisis. She was threatening to jump off the bridge. 

As Kirkendall continued talking to the woman and trying to calm her down, Sgt. Jeff Frederick with the Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene.  Kirkendall motioned for Sgt. Frederick to keep a short distance away, stating later that the arrival of a marked patrol car and uniformed Deputy seemed to make the woman more agitated. 

As Kirkendall continued to talk and listen to the woman, he inched closer until he was able to grab her with both of his arms around her body and pull her from the railing.  

Sgt. Frederick and Kirkendall were able to get the woman into Frederick’s patrol car and get her off the bridge. 

The Targeted Adult Service Coordination Crisis Response Team was contacted and mental health professionals at TASC did an evaluation and made arrangements for follow-up resources for the woman.  

Other agencies responding to the scene were the Iowa Tribal Police Department, Sac & Fox Police Department and Brown County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office.