File photo Two Tyngsborough police officers stopped a woman from jumping off the Tyngsborough Bridge, which spans the Merrimack River near the center of town.

TYNGSBOROUGH, Massachusetts – Even when the despondent woman, perched precariously on the edge of the Tyngsborough Bridge, began screaming that she “just wanted to die” while trying to free herself from the grasp of two police officers, the officers nevertheless succeeded in pulling her to safety without injuring her.

Police Chief Richard Howe, in a statement he issued following the Saturday night incident, praised the efforts of officers Evan Donnelly and Timothy Sullivan for their patience, and persistence, in not giving up on the distraught woman, despite her evident desire to take her own life by leaping off the historic span into the Merrimack River below.

“Please join me in thanking Officers Donnelly and Sullivan for a job well done,” Howe wrote, citing the officers’ “quick response and professional actions that saved this woman’s life.”

It was about 9:30 p.m. Saturday that calls started coming in for a person who appeared to be preparing to jump from the bridge, according to Howe.

Donnelly and Sullivan arrived “within 45 seconds” of getting the call, and discovered that traffic on the bridge had come to a standstill.

As they approached the woman, they saw that she was standing on the opposite side of the railing, facing the water, on the north side of the bridge, Howe wrote.

Donnelly and Sullivan “immediately physically restrained the woman, pulling her away from the edge and lifting her over the railing” – despite the fact she was resisting their efforts, according to Howe.

Once the woman was pulled to safety, medical personnel assisted her into an ambulance for transport to Lowell General Hospital for evaluation, Howe wrote.

He added that the department then contacted a clinician through the Front Line Initiative, a clinical support team with which the Tyngsborough, Dracut, Chelmsford, Tewksbury and Billerica police departments are affiliated.

The program provides residents of those towns with emergency access to mental health professionals, substance abuse counselors and case management and referral services.

In retrospect, Howe wrote, “the actions of Officers Evan Donnelly and Tim Sullivan resulted in saving this young woman’s life, and I could not be more proud and thankful for their quick and professional response during a stressful and chaotic situation.”

Dean Shalhoup may be reached at 594-1256 or dshalhoup@nashuatelegraph.com.