Woman rescued after jumping off Guy West Bridge

Shaun Holkko

Sacramento Fire Department rescues a woman that jumped off the Guy West Bridge on Wednesday evening.

Shaun Holkko, Eric Jaramishian, and Francina Sanchez
October 31, 2018

A woman jumped off the Guy West Bridge into the American River at Sacramento State Wednesday and was rescued by the Sacramento Fire Department.

Emergency responders arrived shortly after 6 p.m. and were able to rescue the woman by boat after she swam closer to the river bank, said Greg Powell, Sacramento Fire Department battalion chief.

Powell said they could not confirm the woman’s intent for jumping.

“Nothing like [suicide] that we know of,” Powell said.

Sharon Ramirez, a witness, was walking by when she saw the jumper standing outside the bridge rail, holding a pair of scissors. Ramirez said she was trying to talk to the jumper, asking if she could help her back over, only to be told, “No, I got this.”

Sharon’s husband Bob Ramirez then called campus police.

Destiny Reynolds, a Sac State criminal justice major, said just as the woman was about to jump, a jogger came by and grabbed her, in an attempted to slow down her fall.

“She hit the water and kind of just swam back and forth, trying to avoid the cops and everyone trying to save her,” Reynolds said.

Whether or not the jumper is a Sac State student has not yet been confirmed.

The State Hornet will continue to update this story if more information becomes available.