A pair of MTA cops are being hailed as heroes for bringing a distraught woman back from the brink of death as she dangled off the ledge of the Whitestone Bridge.
Police officers Raheem Uddin and Jesusalberto Fernandez dashed to the East River span with seconds to spare on April 13, unsure if they would arrive in time to save the woman — and were able to pull her to safety before the tragedy could unfold, they told The Post in an exclusive interview.
“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,” Uddin said. “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.”
Uddin walked up to the woman gingerly and told her he was here to help.
“‘I don’t want to live anymore,’” she told him. “‘I just want to die. Oh, no one helps me. I never get that help. Everyone always says that, but no one really does.’”
The four-year department veteran, a married father with two young daughters, said he thought of his own family as he engaged the troubled woman, and tried a desperate approach.
“I told her, ‘I love you,’” he said. “‘Hey, listen. I’m here to help. I love you, and I just want to be that help for you.’ Once I put my family into this specific scenario, my main goal was getting her off the bridge safely and unharmed. What I did was ask her safe questions.”
His partner stood by, ready to lunge to save the woman if the opportunity emerged.
Uddin spoke to the woman for five minutes, trying to reassure her, maintaining eye contact and keeping her talking — but he wasn’t sure he was getting through.
Thinking quickly he asked her one final question: “Can you tell me about your day?”
The question appeared to catch the woman off guard, and she looked at Uddin without emotion.
“Once she gave me that blank stare, it was almost a sign from God. Like, grab her,” he said. “And that’s when I just grabbed her, brought her into the safety zone and just gave her a hug. And I said, ‘Talk to me. What’s going on? I’m here to help you.’”
The unidentified woman has received psychiatric help, and Uddin said he has stayed in touch with her mom.
Fernandez, who’s been on the job about a year, said he was impressed by his quick-thinking partner.
“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 told The Post.
Uddin said he gave the younger cop his first bit of advice as soon as they got the call earlier.
“I just told my partner, ‘Hey, listen. Just do a prayer. Just pray.’”
The pair’s efforts weren’t lost on their fellow cops or the department’s union.
MTA Police Benevolent Association President Joseph Pugliese called it “absolutely heroic.”
“With very little notice they immediately responded to the call of duty, implemented their training with care and precision, and helped save this young woman’s life,” Pugliese said.
“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 added. “We are proud to salute them for a job well done.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.