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from Frank Clynes May 1, 2022
My first WTEV news photog assignement was in 1963, the year they went on the air. It was an attempted suicide, something the media doesn't generally cover, unless there is substantial public involvement. A middle-aged lady of easy virtue, who tipped the scales somewhere north of 300 lbs, stumbled out of New Bedford's finest seedy bar and hailed a taxi. She directed the driver to take her to the middle of the Fairhaven Bridge and let her out. From there, she executed a perfect swan dive into the water, landing with a mighty splash. The cabbie called police and fire departments, and soon the area was taped off. I arrived in time to document the spectacle. Because of the water wings she had accumulated over the years, she was floating on the surface, unable to sink. The chilly water had rendered her cold sober, fully aware of her present situation. They lowered a fire ladder but she refused to grab it. No hero volunteered to jump in after her like you see on TV, so the depressed damsel would have to remain in distress until someone came up with a better idea. They called a tow truck to the scene and the firemen managed to get a rope around her waist, attached on the other end to the truck's crane. Winching her straight up went OK, until she was level with the center span, where she began to spin. The truck inched forward until she cleared the rail, then lowered onto a stretcher. This was not going to be your typical two man lift. It took the combined effort of the fire and police rescue team to get her into the ambulance. It headed in the direction of St. Lukes Hospital and I headed to the station. Now we're faced with the decision: should we use the story, or shouldn't we. Her story was: she slipped and fell. Not a suicide attempt after all. That was a relief. In that case, we used it. |
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