Port St. Lucie - Saturday July 2, 2022: A suicidal women who laid down on a busy roadway, and then jumped into a nearby lake, was rescued by Port St. Lucie Police Officers this past Saturday afternoon.
PSL Officers responded at 5:30 pm to a report of a woman lying in the middle of Veterans Memorial Parkway. When they arrived on the scene, the woman got up and ran to a nearby lake and jumped in.
The officers tried to calm the woman and talk her into returning to the shore, but she refused and continued to swim further into the lake.
PSL Marine Officers Joshua Peto and Fatima Barrera responded to the scene with a skiff boat. Officer Brittany Holly boarded the boat, stood at the bow, and tried to calm the woman and convince her to come back to shore.
As Officer Holly kept the woman distracted, Officer Jarrod Iler jumped in from the shore and began swimming out to the woman. Officer Holly then jumped in as well and the two were able to safely bring the woman to shore.
The 47-year-old woman was taken into protective custody and transported by the SLC Fire Department to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.
Residents in need of mental health resources are advised to call 211 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.