Two MTA officers are being lauded as heroes after talking a distraught woman off the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge. Partners Raheem Uddin and Jesusalberto Fernandez responded to a call of a distraught woman hanging off the bridge. Uddin described the desperate situation to The New York Post. “The scary part of this whole situation was that she was sitting on the ledge, and two-thirds of her body was already off the ledge. The only way she had a grip was from one of those [Department of Transportation] signs — and we know that those DOT signs are hanging from a rod shooting up, and they’re flimsy on the corners. She was hanging on to that,” he said. Bodycam footage shows the clearly distraught woman crying out as the officers approached her.

Uddin cautiously approached the woman to speak to her while Fernandez hung back as support. Uddin has served on the force for four years while Fernandez has completed his first year. Prior to taking on the scene, Uddin offered Fernandez this advice: “Just do a prayer. Just pray.” Fernandez praised Uddin’s level-headed behavior. “I’ve got to give credit to my partner, because as soon as we got there, he deescalated the situation with the individual, and while he maintained communication I was trying to support him by monitoring the scene and position myself to assist him if he needed,” he said. In an interview with a local news station, Uddin stated he felt he had a developed “a good rapport” with the woman and was able to connect with her through his own childhood trauma. Both officers have been trained for such situations, but they said nothing can completely prepare you for the moment in action.

The unidentified woman was clearly in psychological distress, stating she didn’t want to live anymore. “I just want to die. Oh, no one helps me. I never get that help. Everyone always says that, but no one really does,” she said. Uddin reached out to the woman with love. “I told her, ‘I love you. Hey, listen. I’m here to help. I love you, and I just want to be that help for you,’” he said, stating her approached her by asking her “safe questions.” When he asked her about her day, it took her off guard enough for Uddin to grab her and bring her into the “safety zone.” He called the moment “almost a sign from God” as he pulled the woman into a hug. He has continued to stay in touch with the woman, who was taken to received psychiatric help. He reported the woman is “comfortably” living with her mom.

Both men received praise from their union, with union President Joseph Pugliese lauding the men’s actions. “They embody the very best qualities of all MTA police officers, who go above and beyond the call of duty every day to keep the public safe,” he said. “We are proud to salute them for a job well done.”