Authorities reacted to reports of a person in danger Thursday, causing the closure of Hawthorne Bridge during Portland’s rush-hour traffic.
By 7:30 p.m. the bridge was still closed.
Both sides of the bridge were blocked by Portland police cruisers just before 5 p.m. A scanner record showed that at least five Portland Fire & Rescue units were on the site, and traffic was being rerouted.
The individual proceeded down a staircase toward the road after climbing a bridge truss 150 feet above the decking, according to the Fire Bureau’s social media post.
In an attempt to persuade the person to descend further and speak with potential rescuers, rescuers left a telephone for the victim.
Fire Bureau authorities said on X that many of the first responding firefighters fled to minimize their footprint in the aim of persuading the person to descend the stairs without a significant public safety presence.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zaeem Shaikh writes about criminal justice problems and the Portland Police Bureau. You can reach him on X@zaeemshake or at 503-221-4323, [email protected].
