Constable Pulls Man From Bridge

On his way back to 33 Division on February 21 after working more than 12 hours on a night shift in the downtown core during the convoy protests, a pedestrian flagged down Constable Thomas Corcoran.

“This man was jumping up and down, so I stopped to see what he wanted,” recalled the officer. “He said there was somebody hanging over the Rosedale Valley footbridge. I went over and I saw the individual, who wasn’t looking in my direction, so I just grabbed him, held on to him by his coat and told him not to jump even though he kept trying to break free from me. At first, he told me to let go of him and he wouldn’t jump. But he was trying to free himself from me and he was going to fall if I didn’t hold on to him.”

The passerby, who had flagged down the officer, rushed to help Corcoran to bring the man over the railing.

“I told him to hold on the man’s belt to assist with pulling the guy over the railing,” he said. “We were then able to move him to the other side of the barrier.”

The rescue, estimates Corcoran, took about a minute.

Consts. Patrick McCluskey and Gabriel DaSilva, of 51 Division, arrived on the scene soon after the man was pulled over the railing. They took custody of the man and escorted him to a safe area.

Apprehended under the Mental Health Act, the officers took the man to a hospital for psychiatric assessment.

Inspector Andy Singh praised Corcoran for going above and beyond his duty to save a citizen.

“This officer displayed courage and bravery in quickly intervening in a suicide attempt,” he said. “The officer did that at risk to his own safety and was able to save a life with the assistance of a citizen.”

Sergeant Jason Reynolds, of 51 Division, also thanked Corcoran for his bravery and decisiveness.

“Due the decisive action taken by this officer, this crisis was resolved safely and peacefully,” he said. “His recognition of the severity of the medical emergency, immediate efforts and effective crisis intervention resulted directly in saving this person’s life. By working collaboratively with a member of the community to save a life, his actions also helped build trust and strengthen our relationship with the communities we serve. The officer exemplifies the best qualities of our organization and policing.”

This is not the first time Corcoran has rescued a person in crisis.

Last year, he pulled a man back from a 17th floor balcony at 800 York Mills Blvd.

Corcoran joined the Service four years ago.