Delta police say irate drivers didn’t help matters as they tried to deal with a mental health crisis that closed the Alex Fraser bridge on Monday for hours after a distraught man tried to commit suicide but was eventually persuaded to not go through with it. On January 23, shortly after noon, the Delta Police Department (DPD) received a report of an individual who was outside the safety rail on the southbound side of the Alex Fraser Bridge. DPD officers arrived on the scene and began negotiating with the man. Officers actively negotiated with the distressed male from a safe distance, a strategy designed to de-escalate and reduce the anxiety of an individual already in a heightened emotional state.

By PD Raj – Senior Writer DESIBUZZCanada

NORTH DELTA – Delta police say irate drivers didn’t help matters as they tried to deal with a mental health crisis that closed the Alex Fraser bridge on Monday for hours after a distraught man tried to commit suicide but was eventually persuaded to not go through with it.

On January 23, shortly after noon, the Delta Police Department (DPD) received a report of an individual who was outside the safety rail on the southbound side of the Alex Fraser Bridge. DPD officers arrived on the scene and began negotiating with the man. Officers actively negotiated with the distressed male from a safe distance, a strategy designed to de-escalate and reduce the anxiety of an individual already in a heightened emotional state.

Unfortunately, southbound lanes on the bridge were closed for the safety of the distressed male and first responders for an extended period. A variety of reasons are considered for closing lanes on the bridge. The bridge deck is a loud environment; the sound of engines, tires, and road noise, is complicated by heavy gusts of heavy wind and the sway of the bridge, elevating the danger to those involved. While the overall decision to close the bridge is complex, it is guided by the DPD's priority to preserve life.

Various distractions impacted the DPD's priority to preserve life, including drivers "rubber-necking" to get a view, honking horns, yelling at the individual in crisis, and even encouraging them to take action. Some impacted drivers walked up the bridge deck, made contact with officers, interfered with the negotiations, and even videoed or photographed the individual in crisis.

During this closure, several commuters were gridlocked on the bridge leading to frustration and causing drivers to take chances and drive aggressively. Additional impacts included secondary collisions.

Just before 6:00 pm, a frustrated motorist went around several highway vehicles managing the road closure, striking a highway vehicle and a concrete barrier, causing several thousand dollars of damage to all vehicles involved. Some DPD officers were forced to disengage from the crisis to deal with this incident.

Shortly after 7:00 pm, another driver ignored a flagger's direction and drove around barricades, placing the flagging staff, highway workers, the individual in crisis, and first responders in danger. Upon further investigation, this driver was found to be impaired and issued a 90-day driving suspension along with a 30-day vehicle impound. 

Shortly before 8:00 pm, after standing on a small platform outside the bridge railing and hanging for nearly 8 hours, negotiations with the impacted male concluded with him agreeing to climb back over the rail to safety and surrendering to the officers working to help him.  The individual was then provided with the medical attention he needed.

The DPD team worked with various partners to safely manage and resolve this situation, including RCMP officers, a high-angle rescue team from the Delta Fire Department, the Integrated Emergency Response Team, Mainroad highway contractors, BC Ambulance, and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Chief Neil Dubord stated, "I am proud of the work and commitment of all first responders, which led to the team saving the distressed individual's life in a mental health crisis. We also recognize that the bridge closure caused frustrations, and our team will review this incident with our partners to determine how we can lessen the future impact on the public."

As first responders, the DPD sees the impacts of mental health daily. It can grind lives to a halt, as we saw yesterday, but to stop the stigma surrounding mental health, everyone must do their part. While Bell Let's Talk Day tomorrow will bring further awareness to the stigma, mental health should be a 365-day priority.

Advocates said the behaviour is a reminder to put temporary traffic frustrations into perspective.

"You've got the police and the people who are trying to help that person live, send the message that people care, and then folks who are are honking their horns are inadvertently sending the message that their commute home is more important," said B.C. Crisis Centre executive director Stacy Ashton, who saw the crisis herself on her commute home over the bridge.

"I can guarantee you that the person who is in the mental health crisis is having the worse day."

Ashton, who's worked in the suicide prevention field for roughly 30 years, said most people are understanding when they see someone in crisis and it's "fairly rare" to see someone frustrated to the point of driving dangerously.

"The message I would give to folks who are just out in the world is that crisis can come anytime. You don't know what's going to happen next in your life and something overwhelming can happen ... and when that happens, you can reach out for help," she said.

After eight hours, the man agreed to climb back over the rail to safety.

Police said the factors determining whether to close all or part of the bridge are "complex."

"The bridge deck is a loud environment; the sound of engines, tires and road noise is complicated by heavy gusts of heavy wind and the sway of the bridge, elevating the danger to those involved. While the overall decision to close the bridge is complex, it is guided by the DPD's priority to preserve life," the police statement said.

B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation, which is responsible for several of the Lower Mainland's bridges, says it works with crisis centres and law enforcement agencies, among others, "to ensure everything possible is done to prevent suicide attempts on our structures and keep people safe."

If you or someone you love is suffering, please ask for help or offer it. Below is a list of resources with experts available 24/7, 365 for anyone in crisis.

Fraser Health Crisis Line 604-951-8855 or 1-877-820-7444

Crisis Services Canada (www.talksuicide.ca) 1-833-456-4566

Crisis Centre BC (www.crisiscentre.bc.ca) 1-800-784-2433

Kids Help Phone (www.kidshelpphone.ca) 1-800-668-6868

310Mental Health Support (no area code required) 310-6789

Canadian Mental Health Association (www.cmha.ca)