Paramedic recognized after talking man off of Thunderbolt bridge

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) -A Chatham County paramedic is being recognized after a life-saving effort. The paramedic was off the clock when she saw something that didn’t look right.

Mindy Cauley says she was at the right place at the right time. She says what she did wasn’t anything heroic, but rather it was something that anyone with a heart would do.

A paramedic’s job is often full of quick-thinking situations. This was the case for Chatham County EMS Paramedic, Mindy Cauley. After picking up an extra shift and getting off of work late Cauley was finally on her way home.

As she came over the Thunderbolt bridge she saw something that caught her attention. There was a man, who she says was crawling up the side of the bridge’s ledge. Immediately Cauley says she pulled over and ran through the lanes of traffic and called 911. Prior to meeting the man that day, Cauley had no experience with talking someone out of a suicidal situation. Cauley says she knows she was meant to be there to help save his life.

“I called out to him, he didn’t say nothing and he turned back around and he looks down and he goes forward," said Cauley. "I reached out, grabbed up underneath his arm and said, you know ‘hey what are we doing? Please don’t do this.’ I felt like that was part of the reason I was there at that time because I was meant to be there, I was meant to help this person.”

Mindy Cauley says she got a commendation from her coworkers for going above and beyond the line of duty. According to the department’s CEO Chuck Kearns, this goes towards her evaluation for next year.

Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.