SUMMER: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF HEROES INVOLVED IN THE RESCUE OF A SUICIDAL TEENAGER THREATENING TO JUMP FROM A HIGHWAY OVERPASS IN FLAGLER COUNTY SUNDAY. AMONG THEM, AN ALL FEMALE NEGOTIATING AM.TE JIM: INVESTIGATORS GOT WORD THAT THE GIRL DIDN’T LIKE MEN. SO AS WESH 2’S CLAIREZET M REPORTS, SEVERAL WOMEN IN THE DEPARTMENT TOOK OVER. >> I TRIED TO TALK TO HER ABOUT EVERYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WAS HAPPENING. >> IT WAS A TAP DANCE. IT WAS T AAP DANCE. WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FIND ANYTHING JUST TO KEEP HER TALKING. CLAIRE: DEPUTY CRISTA RAINEY AND DEPUTY LAURA JENKI WNSERE AMONG A TEAM THAT RESPONDED TO A TEENAGER IN CRISIS. >> GET OFF OF ME, GET OFF OF ME, GET OFF ME. DON’T TOUCH ME. >> IT'S OK. IT'S OK. CLAIRE: THE 17-YEAR-OLD WHO HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY BAKER ACTED LEFT HOME ACCORDING TO FAMILY, THREATING ENSELF-HARM. FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND HER ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE CHAIN LINK FENCE AT PALM COAST PARKWAY OVER I-95. >> SHE DID LET GO MULTIPLE TIMES. >> AT LEAST 15-20 TIMES, I WOULD SAY. CLAIRE: IT WASN’T EASY, BUT DEPUTY JENNSKI MANAGED TO GET HANDCUFFS ON THE DISTRAUGHT GIRL. >> WHEN I PUT HER HAND OUT TO HOLD HER HAND, TO OFFER MY HAND HTOER AND SHE TOOK IT THROUGH THE FENCE, THAT’S WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO PULL HER IN ANCUD FF HER. CLAIRE: MEANWHILE, DEPUTY RAINEY RAN DOWN TO THE NOW CLEDOS INTERSTATE AND JUMPED ON A FIRE DEPARTMENT LADDER TRUCK THAT WAS RAISED FOR THE RCUESE. >> YOU’RE TIRED, RIT?GH LISTEN TO ME. LISTEN TOE. M YOU’RE TIRED, YOU’RE EXHAUSTED. CLAIRE:EPUT DY RAINEY TALKED TO THE TEEN ABOUT HER 7 MONTH OLD NEPHEW, SOOTHED AND CALMED HER, THEN REACHED IN AND GRABBED R.HE >> IT WAS A LITTLE SCARY, BUT I THINK I WAS JUST MORE FOCUSED ON GETTING HER DOWN. >>NC OE WE GOT HER DOWN TO THE GROUND, WE KIND OF ALL JUST FELL ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND JTUS HUGGED FOR QUITE SOME TIME. CLAIRE: THE TEEN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE DEPUTIES SAY THEY ARE PROUD TO HAVE BEEN PART OF THIS LIFE-SAVING EFFO.RT MANY HEROES HERE. >> GREAT FEELING KNOWING TTHA YOU COULD STOP SOMEBODY WHWAO S SO INTENT ON DOING THAT. CLAIRE: IN A TIMELY COINCIDENCE, COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY JUST GOT WORD THEY ARE NUMBER LEGISLATIVE FUNDING PRIOTYRI, A ONE 250 -- $250,000 FOR MENTAL HEALTH HELP, SURVIVED THE STATE BUDGET PROCESS. IN FLAGLER COUNTY, CLAIRE METZ, WESH 2
WATCH: Florida deputies save teen threatening to jump from highway overpass
Updated: 9:08 PM EDT Jun 22, 2021
There were a number of heroes involved in the rescue of a suicidal teenager threatening to jump from a highway overpass in Flagler County, Florida, on Sunday, among them, an all-female negotiating team. Investigators got word that the girl didn't like men.So, several women in the department took over."I tried to talk to her about everything other than what was happening," Deputy Laura Jenkins said."It was a tap dance, it was a tap dance, we were just trying to find anything just to keep her talking," Deputy Crista Rainey said.Rainey and Jenkins were among a team that responded to a teenager in crisis. The 17-year-old, who has been previously Baker-Acted, left home, according to family, threatening self-harm. The Baker Act allows families, loved ones and professionals to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness. First responders found her on the wrong side of the chain-link fence on an overpass."She did let go multiple times," Jenkins said."At least 15-20 times I would say, or guess," Rainey said.It wasn't easy, but Jenkins managed to get handcuffs on the distraught girl. Meanwhile, Rainey ran down to the now-closed interstate and jumped on a fire department ladder truck that was raised for the rescue. Rainey talked to the teen about her 7-month-old nephew, soothed and calmed her, then reached in and grabbed her."It was a little scary, but I think I was just more focused on getting her down," Rainey said."Once we got her down to the ground, we kind of all just fell on top of each other and just hugged for quite some time," Jenkins said.The teen was taken to the hospital. The deputies say they are proud to have been part of this life-saving effort. "Great feeling knowing that you could stop somebody who was so intent on doing that," Rainey said.In a timely coincidence, Flagler County just got word that its number one legislative funding priority, a quarter-million dollars for mental health help, survived the state budget process. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, reacting to the incident, put the spotlight on his deputies rather than himself. He says their training was obvious during the ordeal and says more attention must be paid to those in mental health crises.If you or someone you know is going through a crisis, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
There were a number of heroes involved in the rescue of a suicidal teenager threatening to jump from a highway overpass in Flagler County, Florida, on Sunday, among them, an all-female negotiating team.
Investigators got word that the girl didn't like men.
So, several women in the department took over.
"I tried to talk to her about everything other than what was happening," Deputy Laura Jenkins said.
"It was a tap dance, it was a tap dance, we were just trying to find anything just to keep her talking," Deputy Crista Rainey said.
Rainey and Jenkins were among a team that responded to a teenager in crisis.
The 17-year-old, who has been previously Baker-Acted, left home, according to family, threatening self-harm. The Baker Act allows families, loved ones and professionals to provide emergency mental health services and temporary detention for people who are impaired because of their mental illness.
First responders found her on the wrong side of the chain-link fence on an overpass.
"She did let go multiple times," Jenkins said.
"At least 15-20 times I would say, or guess," Rainey said.
It wasn't easy, but Jenkins managed to get handcuffs on the distraught girl.
Meanwhile, Rainey ran down to the now-closed interstate and jumped on a fire department ladder truck that was raised for the rescue.
Rainey talked to the teen about her 7-month-old nephew, soothed and calmed her, then reached in and grabbed her.
"It was a little scary, but I think I was just more focused on getting her down," Rainey said.
"Once we got her down to the ground, we kind of all just fell on top of each other and just hugged for quite some time," Jenkins said.
The teen was taken to the hospital. The deputies say they are proud to have been part of this life-saving effort.
"Great feeling knowing that you could stop somebody who was so intent on doing that," Rainey said.
In a timely coincidence, Flagler County just got word that its number one legislative funding priority, a quarter-million dollars for mental health help, survived the state budget process.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, reacting to the incident, put the spotlight on his deputies rather than himself. He says their training was obvious during the ordeal and says more attention must be paid to those in mental health crises.
If you or someone you know is going through a crisis, you can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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