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OMAHA, Neb. (KETV) — Chris Holbeck is a biologist at the National Park Service near the Bob Kerry Pedestrian bridge. He was reading at his desk Tuesday morning when he looked out at the Missouri River and saw something alarming.
“I happened to be facing the window of my cube,” Holbeck said. “I’m usually facing my computer and I saw the rings of a splash. I thought, ‘That’s something big hit the water to make rings,’ so I got up and looked and I saw a guy in the water. I yelled to my colleagues to call 911 and I took off down the stairs.”
Holbeck grabbed a rescue ring and ran alongside the river.
“I yelled out to him, said to swim to shore, keep his head up, don’t go under,” Holbeck said.
Holbeck said the current was too quick for him to keep up with and continued to carry the man downstream.
“I lost sight of him and he was gone, so I thought he was done,” Holbeck said.
The man in the water listened to Holbeck, though, and swam to shore. Holbeck found him in a wooded area near Conagra’s campus.
“I started looking through the trees and there he was,” Holbeck said.
Holbeck went into the water and pulled the man to safety. Shortly after, rescue crews arrived.
“We have some people who did say that he did jump, that it was intentional, so we’re going to look into that,” said Lt. Steve Meister with the Omaha Police Department.
With a desk view looking at the Missouri River, Holbeck said he’s seen several people jump from the bridge.
“They don’t make it,” he said.
Holbeck said he’s tried to help others before Tuesday, but this was the first time his efforts were successful.
“I told him he saved himself,” Holbeck said.
The Kim Foundation, which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, recently put up a sign at the bridge.
It’s “a hopeful message that’s placed on the bridge downtown, the pedestrian bridge, and then we’re working on getting it in parking garages, as well,” said Julia Hebenstreit, the executive director of the foundation.
The signs also list the suicide lifeline, 800-273-TALK, in an effort to show people they are not alone in perhaps their darkest times.
“This is one last thing that can provide that message of hope and the connection for them,” Hebenstreit said.
The foundation also tracks suicide deaths and trends in the metro in an effort to prevent them, working closely with the Omaha Police Department, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
“If were seeing an increase in youth suicide deaths, we can really target our digital marketing and where a public service announcement is playing,” Hebenstreit said. “We really use that data to help save lives in our community.”
Hebenstreit said everyone can play a role in saving a life through kindness and reaching out to others.
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