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MLB Umpire John Tumpane helped stop a woman from jumping off of the Roberto Clemente Bridge on Wednesday night. Tumpane was in the right place at the right time when he saw the woman, looking as if she was ready to leap.
The 34-year-old ump was in Pittsburgh for the Pirates game against the Tampa Bay Rays. He approached the woman who was standing on the bridge, gazing into the water. When Tumpane walked up to her, the woman told him that she was just trying to get a “better view” of the Allegheny River, according to ESPN. Tumpane said that he knew better and grabbed hold of the woman, who was urging him to let her go. She was on the other side of the rail, ready to plummet into the water below, but he clung on to her body.
“It was just pure instinct. You hear kind of stories of this all the time, different scenarios, people aiding, and situation where I was lucky enough to be there to help and try to think of everything I could do, hanging on to her. At times, she wanted to go the other way. I was like, ‘Not on my watch, please.’ We were just hanging on,” Tumpane said.
Within seconds, another passerby, Tampa Bay Rays employee Mike Weinman, came over to help Tumpane save this woman’s life. Tumpane was able to get someone to call 911 while he stayed close to the woman, not letting her break free. Tumpane, Weinman, and a third unidentified Good Samaritan, held the women securely in place against the rail of the bridge until emergency personnel arrived at the scene.
“I couldn’t tell you how long we were waiting for everyone else to get in place,” Tumpane said. “Obviously, another power comes into be when you’re hanging on and you know what the alternative is of you letting go and not having other people to help you. Once they were able to secure her, we were able to talk her back to help us out, and we got her back on this side. After that, I went up to her, she said, ‘You’ll just forget me after this,’ and I said, ‘No, I’ll never forget you.’ This was an unbelievable day, and I’m glad to say she can have another day with us, and I’m glad I was in the right place at the right time,” he added.
Tumpane has been called a hero, which is a new nickname that he’s not really taking to.
“I just happened to be there. I think I’ve been a caring person in my life. I saw somebody in need, and it looked like a situation to obviously insert myself and help out,” he said.
