PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria Fire Department responded to two Bob Michel Bridge jumping-related incidents within 24 hours of each other.
The first call came in at 4:46 Friday afternoon regarding a female in the Illinois River.
How she ended up there, said Battalion Chief Rick Morgan, is clouded by conflicted calls.
“We got several reports. We had one report saying she had accidentally fallen into the river, and then we got another report from witnesses saying they witnessed her jumping into the river,” Morgan said.
Upon arrival, the dive team was deployed and sonar was used to try and locate the individual.
Those attempts were unsuccessful, he said, partially because divers were limited as to how far down they could go because of a swift current and because the muddiness the water made for a near zero visibility.
“We spent about four hours out there, trying to just comb the river in between the areas where she was last seen,” he said.
“Witnesses thought they saw her swimming and then thought they saw her head go under and she was submerged.”
The witnesses said they saw her yell for help before carried away by a current to the Cedar Street Bridge, and saw her go under the water near the former Granite City Food & Brewery.
It was unknown as of Saturday morning whether the individual made it to shore. Shoes and other personal belongings were retrieved and given to the East Peoria Police Department.
The second incident was reported at 1:15 Saturday morning to the PFD when a male was threatening to jump off.
Peoria Police joined the fire department in trying to talk the man off the catwalk without incident.
The man refused to come down, so extra backup was called in, said Morgan.
“Technical rescue personnel from the fire department lowered themselves to the catwalk to him, and then after they got to the catwalk, they negotiated with the person and convinced him not to jump,” he said.
Morgan said the man was secured to a harness and rope, and helped to safety.
He was turned over to the PPD without any further issue.
