The Lewis and Clark Bridge was closed to traffic for about two hours Saturday morning while a man threatened to jump into the Columbia River.
Cowlitz County police were notified at about 7:30 a.m. that a man was standing on the hand railing near the middle of the bridge, threatening to jump, according to a news release from the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers reached the scene at 7:45 a.m. and stopped traffic for safety reasons. The bridge spans between Longview, Wash., and Rainier, Ore.
A local emergency mental health counselor who was familiar with the man, identified as a 31-year-old transient, was called to the scene and worked with a Washington State Patrol trooper to talk the man down from the railing, according to police.
