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Firefighters Use 24-Foot Ladder To Rescue Woman Dangling From Railroad Bridge

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - Police responded to multiple 9-1-1 calls Saturday morning of reports that a woman was dangling from the railroad bridge that crosses the New River in Ft. Lauderdale.

A 55-year-old woman, according to Matt Little the spokesperson for the City of Fort Lauderdale, was crossing the bridge when it began opening.

Calls came in around 10:45 am as the woman was left hanging on the bridge which was in the upright position—22 feet above the tracks. The bridge is located between Riverfront and the historic district.

Woman being rescued by firefighters
Firefighters used a 24-foot ladder to rescue the woman hanging on to a Ft. Lauderdale bridge. (Courtesy: Paige Hampton, Twitter. @Paigeeeee_16)

The firefighters, through verbal contact, advised the woman of rescue plans. The firefighters deployed a 24 foot ladder, as a crowd of spectators watched, and the woman was rescued.

The woman, while frightened from the incident, was not injured.

The Dania Beach woman, dressed in pink, told firefighters that she had participated in a breast cancer awareness walk earlier in the morning. However, it is not known why she was on the railroad bridge as pedestrians are not permitted there.

Click here for a photo gallery. 

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