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VIDEO: Police Rescue Suicidal Woman From Kosciuszko Bridge

Kosciuszko Bridge Rescue
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NYPD

MASPETH — Police rescued a suicidal woman from the Kosciuszko Bridge on Monday, talking to her for more than two hours before they managed to pull her over the railing to safety.

Detectives Meghan Kinsella of the 108th Precinct and Steven Stefanakos of the Emergency Service Unit found the 45-year-old Brooklyn woman on the ledge of the bridge around 11:30 a.m. Monday, according to the NYPD.

The woman, whose identity was not released, was standing precariously on a pipe that ran alongside the bridge over the Newtown Creek and holding onto a cable wire that's part of the structure, according to police and a video of the dramatic rescue.

"I tried to convince her that no matter what, we would be with her every step of the way," Kinsella said in a statement.

"I didn’t even realize I was there for two hours. I was completely focused on her."

At one point, the woman let go of the wire and bent her knees, a motion that led to the detectives to believe she was going to jump, the NYPD said.

Stefanakos, a 24-year veteran of the force, tried to "connect with the woman on an emotional level" and even suggested she might have a family or children to think about, police said.

"I told her 'I don't know what is going on and what is happening with you but give us chance to talk to you,'" said Stefanakos, who trains other officers on how to talk to people in crisis.

The woman eventually held the cable again, and police grabbed her by the hands and hauled her over the railing to safety, the video shows.

The woman was was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, according to the NYPD.

"It's a huge relief," Stefanakos said. "It actually is euphoric because you made a difference in somebody's life, right there and then."