Wausau officers jump into freezing water to save suicidal man

 

WAUSAU, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wausau Police have released a video of officers saving the life of a man threatening to jump into a freezing cold river.

In the Facebook post, police say officers were called to the northeast side of Wausau for a man walking through yards and along the north bank of the Wisconsin River. Officers learned that the man was suicidal and tried to talk him away from the bank.

The man threatened to jump into the cold water and "freeze to death" if officers got too close. At one point the man went into the water up to his waist and then climbed out.

Officers worked with Wausau Fire to get an airboat to the location and when the man asked for a life jacket they threw it to him halfway. When the man walked up to retrieve the life jacket officers ran towards him, but the man jumped in the river. Officers jumped in after and were able to get the man to the shore and into the arriving airboat to get him safe.