PSWICH — Fire Chief Paul Parisi and Police Chief Paul Nikas report that the Ipswich Fire and Police Departments responded Saturday evening to a water rescue after a man jumped from the County Street Bridge into the Ipswich River.
On Saturday, Feb. 22, at approximately 8:30 p.m., Ipswich Communications received a 911 call reporting that a person had jumped from the County Street Bridge. Ipswich Police and Fire units were immediately dispatched to the scene.
Upon arrival, Engine 2 and Squad 1, under the command of Acting Lt. Jeremy Dalton, found a male lying on an ice shelf in the river, conscious and breathing. The male had fallen approximately 16 feet from the bridge onto the ice. Recognizing the need for additional resources, Acting Lt. Dalton established command, ordered a box alarm, recalled an off-duty shift, and requested Deputy Chief Lee Prentiss to respond.
Ipswich Police officers maintained verbal contact with the victim from the bridge while Firefighters Mike Sikora and Keith LeBlanc donned Mustang ice rescue suits. Firefighter Sikora then made his way onto the ice to evaluate the male’s condition.
As Deputy Chief Prentiss arrived, command ordered a 16-foot roof ladder to be brought through 24 Elm Street to facilitate the rescue. Ipswich Police Sgt. Ciccotelli and Deputy Chief Prentiss assisted in transporting equipment to the riverbank.
Meanwhile, Engine 4, staffed by off-duty and call firefighters, deployed a 24-foot extension ladder down the embankment from County Street.
Once in contact with the male, Firefighter Sikora conducted a primary assessment and moved him away from open water, which was just three feet from where he had landed. He then applied a cervical collar for spinal stabilization. Working together, Firefighters Sikora and LeBlanc successfully removed the male from the ice.
At the river’s edge, Ipswich Fire and Police personnel used a backboard to lift the male up the ladder to County Street, where Action Ambulance paramedics conducted a secondary assessment. The male was transported to Beverly Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
In a joint statement, Chief Parisi and Chief Nikas said, “The members of the Ipswich Fire and Police Departments worked together under dangerous, dark, and cold conditions to effect the rescue of this victim. These members are to be commended for their actions in conducting this high-risk, low-frequency operation.”
While Chief Communications Officer Dave Irvine was coordinating the rescue, a second medical emergency, a severe allergic reaction, occurred elsewhere in town, requiring mutual aid from a Topsfield engine company and a response from Action Ambulance Medic 2. Chief Parisi and Chief Nikas extend their gratitude to Irvine for his professionalism and multitasking abilities in managing emergency communications during both incidents.
