Firefighters cited for stopping bridge jumper

New London - As firefighter Kaim Rosado stood on the ledge of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge with nothing beneath him but a more-than-135-foot drop to the Thames River, he didn't look down.

"I looked across," he said.

While his fellow firefighters and state police troopers worked to secure a 22-year-old suicidal man who had climbed over a fence and onto the ledge of the bridge, Rosado took out his personal safety rope, normally used for repelling down burning buildings, secured his harness and scaled the fence to hold the man on the ledge.

Eventually, the man was brought back on to the roadway and taken to a hospital for treatment.

For his actions on that Dec. 12 morning, Rosado, along with fellow firefighters, was given citations before Monday night's City Council meeting.

Rosado, an eight-year veteran, received the department's highest honor, the Commendation of Valor, and also a commendation from the City Council.

Battalion Chief Henry E. Kydd Jr., Lt. Joseph Stanley and firefighter Todd Johnson were also recognized and were given a unit commendation from the department.

"Without your quick actions, this incident would have ended in tragedy," Fire Chief Ronald Samul told the firefighters.

The suicidal man was standing at the crest of the south span of the bridge when emergency crews arrived.

While state police negotiators talked with the man, officials saw an opportunity to secure him.

Several troopers and firefighters, including Stanley, wrestled to hold onto the man through the fencing. Kydd tried to secure the man's other wrist with handcuffs, but the man was able to get free. He unlatched his belt after troopers were able to grab hold of it.

While the man struggled, state police wrapped a rope around his legs several times to secure him to the bridge fence. The man repeated that he was "ready to go" and leaned back with arms outstretched, with only the rope keeping him on the ledge.

That's when Rosado, without being told to do so, went over the fence.

When asked what he was thinking, Rosado joked: "Nothing you could print."

Johnson helped secure an additional line around Rosado and then, with Kydd, started to use bolt-cutters to remove a section of the fence to the right of the distraught man to pull the men to safety.

Dressed in his Class-A uniform, Rosado juggled his framed commendations while taking pictures with his beaming family members.

He said he would do it again if he had to. "But I'd rather not," he added.

Rosado wasn't quick to take the credit for saving the man. Instead, he made sure to thank the other firefighters at the scene and commended the state troopers who were at the top of the bridge.

"The quick response by the state police troopers to grab that guy made it possible for me to get to him," he said.

Rosado was also given a commendation from the state legislature as well as the one from the City Council.

"I was very proud of the fact that they did their job, they did it well and they went over and above and they took some risks," said Councilor Michael Buscetto III. "It's a team effort and it's a situation that came out in a positive way."