WALTHAM, MA — A man was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries Tuesday afternoon after witnesses say he jumped from the Moody Street Bridge into the Charles River in Waltham.
According to the Waltham Fire Department, 911 began receiving calls at 3:12 p.m. reporting a man on the Moody Street Bridge. Dispatchers then received reports that the individual had entered the water.
Witnesses who were by the bridge told Boston 25 News they initially mistook the situation for a bird in the river.
“I saw some flapping in the water and I thought, ‘Oh, a bird,’” witness Elise Ghitelman said.
Moments later, she realized it was a person.
“I said we need to call the police because we’re not going to get him out,” Ghitelman said.
Before emergency crews could reach the scene, several bystanders jumped into the water to help.
According to the fire department, one man entered the river and two nearby civilians went in after him in an attempt to rescue him. A third civilian also entered the water to assist, bringing the total number of civilians in the river to four.
Waltham Police officers arrived and threw life jackets into the water while holding rescue ropes for those struggling in the river. Waltham Fire officials said Captain John Bonadio, who was nearby with other fire department personnel, jumped into the water and assisted until rescue crews arrived.
Witness Monique Schersinger said the bystanders were able to help pull the man from the river.
“They did get him out. They worked on him,” Schersinger said.
One civilian was able to get out of the water before firefighters arrived. Waltham Fire and Police crews eventually rescued three people from the river.
The incident prompted the closure of the busy Moody Street Bridge as emergency crews worked at the scene.
Fire officials said two of the people pulled from the water were transported to area hospitals. Crews performed CPR on one of the rescued individuals. The other two people who had been in the river were evaluated at the scene and declined transport to a hospital.
Massachusetts State Police said preliminary information indicates the man jumped from the bridge. He was pulled from the water with life-threatening injuries and taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
People who frequent the area told Boston 25 News the man is a familiar face around Moody Street and appeared to be struggling earlier in the day.
“He was screaming out loud towards the water,” Schersinger said.
Schersinger said she wished there had been intervention before the situation escalated.
“We need boots on the ground in a mental health sort of way or social work type of way,” she said.
Despite the frightening scene, witnesses expressed gratitude for the bystanders and first responders who rushed to help.
“Hopefully he wasn’t in there too long. I’m sure he swallowed water, but they got it out, so we don’t know,” Schersinger said.
The Waltham Fire Department reported no injuries to its personnel. State Police said the incident remains under investigation.
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