A gripping scene unfolded as police bodycam footage captured the tense moment when courageous officers saved a woman perched on the brink of a New York City high-rise. The dramatic event took place at the Avalon Willoughby Square in downtown Brooklyn, where NYPD officers responded to a report of a distressed woman precariously positioned atop the skyscraper.
Arriving swiftly at the 58-story building around 1:30 PM on Thursday, a team of NYPD officers, including a male and female officer, found the 41-year-old woman in an emotionally fragile state on the ledge. They quickly engaged with her, urging her to reconsider her actions.
“Ma’am? Hi ma’am. Please don’t do it,” the male officer implored, his pleas captured in the police video that shielded the woman’s identity. The officers remained calm as they tried to communicate with the distraught individual.
Amidst her sobs, the woman, who had climbed more than halfway up the towering structure, responded when officers gently inquired about her name.
In a heart-wrenching exchange, she shared her name through tears, prompting an officer to ask, “What’s going on?” in a bid to understand and help the troubled woman.
She answered through tears before an officer asked her: ‘What’s going on?’
‘Tell my mom and dad that I love them,’ the tearful woman said as her dress flapped in the wind.
‘Please don’t do it, we care about you,’ the male officer immediately replied. ‘Listen, we care about you, we don’t want to see you hurt yourself, ok?’
Harrowing police bodycam footage captured the moment brave NYPD officers rescued a distraught woman from the top of a skyscraper on Thursday afternoon
‘Tell my mom and dad that I love them,’ the tearful woman said as her dress and long brunette hair flapped in the wind
A male officer stayed by the woman’s side the whole time, gripping her hand in his as he spoke to her
The hysterical woman then repeated herself before the cop asked if he could approach her.
After she agreed, the officer instantly rushed over to her, and grabbed her hand and said: ‘Listen, we care about you.
‘We don’t want you to hurt yourself, ok? We don’t want you to hurt yourself ok?’
‘Listen, whatever you’re going through, we can fix it. We can try to fix it, ok?’ he added as he continued to reassure the woman.
She kept a strong grip on the officer’s hands before replying: ‘Take me to the hospital.’
‘Yes, we’ll take you to the hospital,’ the male officer responded before the camera angle changed, showing the officer consoling her.
‘I’m positive, we can do whatever you wanna do, ok? Anything is better than this,’ the officer said, crouching down and making eye contact with her through the plexiglass while still holding her hand.
‘Please, please let me help you,’ he said as the footage turned to members of the Emergency Service Unit darting upstairs with rescue equipment.
Once at the scene, unit members attached ropes and carabiners to a first responder, who immediately rushed over to the woman.
While responding officers tried to calm the 41-year-old woman down, members of the Emergency Service Unit raced upstairs with gear to save her
Once strapped into ropes and carabiners, a first responder got on the ledge with her and spoke to the emotional woman
The first responder swiftly lifted himself over the tall glass before talking to the distressed woman.
He looked at her and said: ‘Hey, I’m here now, ok? Listen, I’m here now, ok? I told you I was gonna help you right? I told you that, right?’
The woman continued to cry as she held onto the NYPD cop’s hand through a space between the glass.
‘Listen to me, we’re gonna do this together, ok? We can sit here for 10 minutes, we can sit here for half-an-hour,’ the member of the Emergency Service Unit told her.
‘Look at me in my eyes, ok? I want to make sure that you’re safe and that you’re ok. Like I said, whatever it is that you may be going through, ok, I want to help you. I will personally help you,’ he added.
The rescuer then put his hand out, leading the woman to grab onto him.
‘Ok, can we go back over?,’ he asked her.
She replied: ‘No! Not yet.’
‘Ok, that’s fine. Hey, listen, I have you…. Trust me, believe me, I have you. We’re gonna do this together,’ he said before making a lighthearted joke in an apparent attempt to make her feel more comfortable.
‘Listen, look where we’re at,’ he said as he pointed out to the sunny New York City skyline.
The woman then grabbed his hand as the two of them sat stories high
Once agreeing to go back over the plexiglass, a group of officers helped her get to safety
‘We have the best view in the city, alright? And we’re here together.’
Another officer then wrapped his arms around the woman’s back as the one holding her hand helped her get on her feet.
A group of officers then helped guide her over the other side of the glass, bringing her to safety.
The NYPD commended everyone involved for their life-saving efforts that day.
‘Heroism and heart from NY’s Finest,’ the agency wrote on social media.
‘When a woman was seated on the ledge of a high-rise building in Brooklyn, our officers quickly responded, using their training to save her life.
‘This is what it takes to protect and serve.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
