Abusive man under Hamilton bridge arrested

Photo / Christine Cornege

A man who crawled more than 20 metres up a road bridge arch over the Waikato River in Hamilton, sparking a massive emergency services rescue operation, has been brought down safely and arrested.

The incident closed the Victoria Bridge at the south end of the city's central business district as firefighters scaled the underside of the bridge to retrieve the 32-year-old man.

Above him police and staff from the Hamilton Night Shelter tried to negotiate with the man, who had wedged himself at the apex of the steel arch and the underside of the road carriage.

Traffic and pedestrians were diverted for almost three hours as the rescue effort unfolded.
Hamilton Police Senior Sergeant Pete van de Wetering said police received calls from members of the public at 11.15am and responded immediately.

"He had attracted attention to himself by some offensive behaviour and remarks to public walking along Grantham St and over the bridge. [He was] using offensive language and spitting at people."

Mr van de Wetering said the bridge was closed because it was impossible to talk to the man with the noise from traffic and he said the man was easily distracted by pedestrians.
The Fire Service sent members of their crew up the archway and though the man tried to evade them, he was eventually coaxed off the bridge.

The man, of no fixed abode, was arrested for breaching alcohol-related conditions of his bail, and taken into custody.

He would now be assessed by mental health experts.

Mr van de Wetering was not aware of anyone climbing up the archway before, which he said was highly dangerous.

He said people had previously jumped off the bridge into the river and survived but it could be fatal plunge depending on several factors including where they landed and how deep the water was at the time.