Anthony Wayne Bridge climber is rescued

4/27/2005

An East Toledo woman was rescued from the Anthony Wayne Bridge during an apparent suicide attempt yesterday that shut down traffic in both directions for several hours, police said.

Tonie R. Mintrose, of 2654 Fremont St., who police said is in her 40s, was treated at St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center after firefighters climbed the bridge's primary support cable and helped her down through the truss access shaft, police said. They said she would be issued a summons for inducing panic.

Emergency personnel responded to a report about 5:30 a.m. of a person climbing the bridge. They saw her climbing the primary support cable toward the top of the downtown-side support truss, police said.

Police shut down traffic and began talking with her via her cell phone. After more than two hours of negotiations, she agreed to come down.

Two senior bridge mechanics climbed to the top of the bridge to assess ways to get her down. A past back injury and numb legs from exposure to the cold did not allow her to climb down on her own, so firefighters rescued her. The bridge was reopened about 9 a.m., police said.