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Man Prevents Suicidal Woman from Jumping off Coronado Bridge

What would you do at witnessing someone about to jump from the Coronado Bay Bridge?

Consider the tale of real estate appraiser Bryan Knowlton, a 42-year-old resident of Kearny Mesa. On Thursday, May 12, Knowlton left his office near home and headed for Coronado, where he had an 11:00 a.m. appraisal appointment. “It was about 10:30 as I was driving over the bridge,” he tells me. “I like to arrive a little early to take pictures of surrounding properties.

“But traffic was backed up, and everybody was trying to get out of the right lane to go around a parked car. Driving by, I saw a lady looking over the wall, and there was a big bottle of wine on her hood and a smaller bottle of beer.”

In an instant, Knowlton decided to get out and talk to the woman. He pulled up a few feet beyond her car and went back. “I walked up and looked over the side,” he says, “and I said to her, ‘Man, this is scary up here.’ I started asking how she was doing and so on. She told me her car was broken down, though it was still running, and then she walked around to take the keys out of the ignition. And I asked if I could just hang out with her a while. I was trying to stay close the whole time so I could grab her if I needed to. I asked her if she had any kids ’cause I have a couple of my own. And did she have any other family? So I was talking to her and talking to her, but she wasn’t having any of it. She only kept mentioning that her car broke down. She said, ‘I’m waiting for a tow truck, and they’re on their way, and I’d like to just wait here by myself.’ ‘You know,’ I told her, ‘I just don’t feel comfortable with that. Can I hang out with you? I’ll have some drinks with you and chill out.’ At that point, she seemed to be getting bored with me and said, ‘All I want you to do is leave.’”

Read the entire San Diego Reader article here.

Tags: Coronado bridge, people

2 members like this

Comment by Kimberley T Scattergood on June 1, 2011 at 11:38am: Wow. Thank you Mr. Knowlton, for your kind, compassionate & brave heart! Your wife and children must be very proud of you! Although I hate to think of such possible tragic ends on a bridge that can take you to such beauty; a place that holds my heart and soul, I am so glad there are people like Mr. Knowlton around, who risk themselves to help another.

Comment by Julie Overstreet on June 1, 2011 at 11:55am: Wow! That's a pretty crazy story. I've always wondered what I would do. I think Mr. Knowlton was exceptionally brave and very deserving of the handmade sign his children hung for him!

Comment by Coronado Cookie on June 1, 2011 at 12:58pm: I have witnessed a Coronado Bridge Suicide and it is horrifying. That time there were quite a few cars stopped and people were trying to help. I have also seen a woman being held back from jumping...her desparation and struggle were wrenching. That time, many people had also stopped. I am surprised that no one stopped this time.

Thank you Bryan for your heroic acts. I am glad you are okay and I hope that the woman is finding the support and help she needs to make her life more positive.

Comment by Alan Cruz on June 1, 2011 at 1:08pm: Coming back from a night of drinking in downtown, right as we get off the cab, my friends and I saw a dude around 3am heading towards the bridge, we noticed this dude looked kinda weird walking at a fast pace (probably hammered) totally out of his element, once we tried to tell him he was past point of return and off the walking path ..the dude bolted and screamed "I know what I am doing!!" heading for the bridge full throttle....We could not get 911 through the line...My boy Sean took action and ran across the onramp to the CHP patrol station and banged on the windows to get someones attention...2 officers came out pointing guns at my buddy thinking we were terrorists or something...We explained and then they proceeded to help the jumper....Cops showed up and then they went to help the jumper...we did a team hug and went home feeling good about saving someone's life!

Local heroes? I think so!!

Photo Star Comment by Dan McGeorge on June 2, 2011 at 8:49am: I had heard about this on the radio, just a headline. So glad it was printed here with the details. Bryan deserves such kudos for this brave act. Someone's daughter, sister, friend, who knows what trauma would have been left behind had she completed her jump. Hopefully she will get help, sort things out and be forever grateful to this stranger who saved her life.

Comment by Mary Anderson on June 2, 2011 at 1:52pm: What a courageous and compassionate act. I hope she gets professional help.

Comment by Pamela McCollum on June 6, 2011 at 10:01am: That was a very risky and selfless thing to do for someone you don't know. The world needs more "Bryan Knowltons."

Comment by dot harms on June 6, 2011 at 6:00pm: Each and every life is so precious .. thank you for honoring the life of that wounded woman.... and for bringing honor to who you are as a man.... your children are blessed to have a hero for a father .. what a role model for them!