BACOLOD City – Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod City rescued a 32-year-old man who allegedly attempted to jump from the Gonzaga Bridge in Barangay 28 here on July 27.
According to the Bacolod City Fire Station, Fire Supt. Jenny Mae C. Masip and Fire Officer 1 Yves Jason T. Demontaño were on their way to the Office of the Provincial Fire Marshal at around 4:15 p.m. when a concerned citizen flagged down their service vehicle after noticing a distressed man standing on the bridge.
Masip immediately approached the man and calmly engaged him in conversation in an effort to de-escalate the situation and persuade him to move away from the edge. While keeping him occupied, she discreetly instructed Demontaño to position himself for a possible rescue.
At an opportune moment, Demontaño, with the assistance of a bystander, restrained the man from both sides while Masip secured him to prevent him from falling. The man reportedly resisted, but the responders, aided by several bystanders, were able to pull him to safety.
Additional firefighters from the Lopez Jaena Fire Substation arrived shortly afterward to help secure the area and coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The rescued man, identified only by the alias “John” and a resident of Purok Pilit Dos, Barangay Banago, sustained minor abrasions on both legs during the incident. No fatalities were reported.
He was turned over to Police Station 6 for documentation and proper disposition. At around 6 p.m., police requested an ambulance to assess his condition.
With the assistance of a barangay social worker, authorities contacted the man’s family, who later arrived at the police station. After the required documentation was completed, he was released into the custody of his family./PN
