MLB umpire stops woman from jumping off bridge
Major League Baseball umpire John Tumpane was in Pittsburgh for a game Wednesday when he apparently came to the rescue of a woman in distress.
Tumpane was walking across the mostly empty Roberto Clemente Bridge over the Allegheny River around 3 p.m. when he saw a woman climb over the railing, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
He rushed toward the woman and asked what was going on. She responded that she wanted a better view of the city, Tumpane said.
Tumpane proceeded to hook his arm around hers, telling the Post-Gazette that he said, “You don’t want to do that.”
Tumpane said she responded, “Just let me go” and “You’ll forget me tomorrow,” but he continued to reassure her and alerted a passerby to call 911.
Two men stopped to help restrain her until authorities arrived. She was eventually taken to a hospital, city police spokeswoman Sonya Toler told the Post-Gazette.
About an hour after the incident, Tumpane headed to the ballpark, not far from where the ordeal had occurred, to be the home-plate umpire in Wednesday’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Tampa Bay Rays.
“It’s a sad day, but it ended on a positive note,” Tumpane told the Post-Gazette. “Hopefully it’s an eye-opener for her as well, and it can help her get back on track.”
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This story was originally published June 28, 2017 at 9:52 PM with the headline "MLB umpire stops woman from jumping off bridge."