CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man’s climb up the cables of the new Harbor Bridge, Wednesday, has prompted questions about safety, security, and how first responders handle high-risk rescues.
The man, who Corpus Christi police later confirmed was experiencing a mental health crisis, made his way onto the bridge’s cables more than a hundred feet above traffic. Law enforcement temporarily shut down traffic while rescue crews worked for hours to bring him down safely.
Assistant Fire Chief Tony Perez said firefighters had trained extensively for scenarios like this one, even before the new Harbor Bridge officially opened.
“We have to do training and we have to be prepared to respond to that,” Perez said. “Fortunately for us, we had an idea about the bridge long before it was even built, so even in the process of it being built, we were able to do training along the way.”
Fire station 1 was one of the primary responders to the incident. However, crews from Fire Station 3 were able to offer specialized help from their high-angle rescue unit. The Corpus Christi Police Department also deployed its Hostage Negotiation Team, which Perez said works annually with the fire department on joint training exercises.
“Anytime we’re going to utilize ropes to accomplish a rescue, we’re going to rely on that training,” Perez said. “Our team is prepared for those situations.”
The Harbor Bridge is fitted with 10-foot fencing and other barriers, but investigators said the man managed to cross the median and reach the cables.
After several hours, first responders were able to bring him down safely. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation, and police said no criminal charges will be filed. It's still unclear how the man climbed the cable of the bridge.
KRIS 6 News reached out to TxDOT in response to Wednesday's incident. The company's spokeperson, Rickey Dailey, sent this statement to our newsroom:
"Flatiron/Dragados, the developer for the new Harbor Bridge, is reviewing Wednesday’s incident with TxDOT to assess security measures and to prevent public breaches inside the median of the new cable-stayed bridge median.
The new Harbor Bridge pedestrian access features 10-foot-tall fencing that arches inward across the entire limits of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. Throughout the construction of the new bridge, Flatiron/Dragados hosted quarterly rescue drills, during which the city of Corpus Christi police and fire departments simulated high-elevation and confined-space rescues. The Harbor Bridge Project team recognizes and relies upon trained and highly competent first responders to manage crisis situations, as demonstrated in recent headlines."
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