DECATUR, Ala. – The Decatur Police Department says the “man in distress” is now safely off the bridge on Highway 31. Officers have reopened the southbound lanes to traffic.
“It actually wrapped up with him falling into the water, we had to rescue him out of the water,” said DPD Chief Nate Allen.
DPD spokesperson Emme Long says he was rescued around 8:15 a.m. and the lanes were reopened less than fifteen minutes later, ending the four hour ordeal.
“It’s a headache for the traffic, a headache for the commuters,” said Chief Allen. “For the citizen, it’s a headache for him too. Our job is to preserve life.”
Police say the man sustained minor injuries and will undergo a mental evaluation.
Southbound lanes are now open on the bridge.
— Decatur, AL Police (@DecaturALPD) September 5, 2018
The southbound lanes of the Hudson Bridge going over the Tennessee River have been closed since around 4:00 Wednesday morning.
Previous Report:
The Decatur Police Department says that a “man in distress” has caused the southbound lanes of the Highway 31 bridge in Decatur to temporarily close.
#BREAKING: @DecaturALPD: “man in distress” on bridge is the obstruction closing the SB lanes since approx. 4:40 this AM. Commuters should take i65 South as alternate @whnt https://t.co/wsmRh2bKJD
— Shevaun Bryan (@finessebryan) September 5, 2018
Our crew on the scene reports cars were making u-turns wherever they could once they realized they would be unable to cross the bridge.
Police say they have negotiators, patrol officers, and a waterborne unit responding to a man who walking back and forth near the edge of the bridge. They are asking drivers to take the I-65 as an alternate route.
At this time, we have negotiators, officers, and our waterborne unit responding to a man who is near the edge of the bridge. We are working to safely resolve the situation.
— Decatur, AL Police (@DecaturALPD) September 5, 2018