A University of Minnesota student may have saved a life on Easter Sunday when he confronted a woman standing on the edge of a bridge on campus.
University freshman Thomas Stolee pulled the woman off of a ledge above the Mississippi River after talking with her for approximately 25 minutes.
Stolee, 19, was jogging on the university’s Twin Cities campus when he saw the woman standing on the bridge with one foot over the railing.
“I stopped and tried to talk to her. I said, ‘Can I help you?’ and she said, ‘Get away from me,'” Stolee says.
The Palm Beach Post reports that Stolee continued to talk to the woman as he slowly walked closer to her.
Stolee was able to involve police by mouthing ‘help’ to two bicyclists passing by, who notified campus authorities.
When the woman began climbing fully over the railing, Stolee lunged at her from five feet away.
“It was go-time, so I lunged, grabbed her and pulled her back,” Stolee recalls.
Campus police arrived just in time to witness the incident and assist in the aftermath.
Stolee, who is also a campus security monitor, says the woman did not resist him but broke down crying.
Stolee’s father, Duluth Police Sergeant Tom Stolee, says his son called him right after the incident in an emotional state.
Although the woman’s intentions haven’t been confirmed, it’s probably safe to call the incident an Easter miracle.
