A man returned to ground last night after having climbed up a suspension cable to the top of the Anthony Wayne Bridge near downtown Toledo.

The man, who was not identified, came cautiously down the cable without help shortly after 7 p.m. and was taken away in a life squad.

He spent nearly two hours on the top crosspiece between the two towers on the west side of the bridge. He told authorities he was depressed because his life was not going right.

The bridge was closed to traffic and a fire ladder truck was deployed as a police negotiator tried to talk the man into coming down. The Coast Guard was on the scene as well.

The bridge is a suspension structure over the Maumee River connection Route 2 and Route 5.

The tower is about 210 feet above the river at normal water levels.

First Published August 6, 2010, 10:00 p.m.