32-year-old woman jumps off Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge

A 32-year-old woman attempted suicide Wednesday afternoon when she jumped from the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, police said.

The extent of her injuries are unknown, but she did survive the plunge, said Sgt. Barry Hovis, spokesman for the police department.

Two individuals phoned the police department around 5 p.m. with information that the woman had called and told them she planned to jump, said Hovis.

Officers responded immediately, and made contact with the woman when she was already on the bridge. As they were talking to her, she jumped, on the side of the bridge closest to Cape Girardeau.

She disappeared from the officers' line of view and they were unable to tell whether or not she hit the water at an angle, said Hovis.

The Cape Girardeau fire department immediately responded to the scene, but it was workers from the Missouri Dry Docks that performed the water rescue using a tugboat they had readily accessible, said Hovis.

The woman parked her vehicle on the bridge, and was alone. Her car was towed to a safe place, said Hovis.

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