Swift action by first responders in harrisburg led to the accomplished rescue of a man from the susquehanna River on Monday afternoon. The rescue was intricate by heavy rain, traffic, and the river’s strong current.

At 5:34 p.m., dispatchers from Dauphin County 911 were alerted to a situation on the Susquehanna River, where a man had entered the water in an attempt to take his own life, according to fire Chief Brian Enterline.

Captain Jeremy Saul, Lieutenant Justin Zimmerman, and firefighters Oren Kauffman and Brayden Byers, all of the Harrisburg fire department, responded to the call. Their initial challenge was to pinpoint the man’s location in the river.

After Captain Saul spotted the man in the water, the crew launched two boats near the Dock Street Dam to begin the rescue operation.

Due to heavy rains, the Susquehanna River was flowing rapidly. the man was carried approximately 120 yards downstream in the short time it took the rescue team to reach him.

The Dock Street Dam, a known hazard that has claimed at least 29 lives since 1935, did not pose an immediate threat in this instance because of where the man initially entered the water.

“That individual was lucky in the fact that where he jumped in at, or where he got into the water at, he had a good distance to go [to the Dock Street Dam],” Saul told PennLive on Tuesday.”But the problem with that particular call right now is that the Susquehanna River is moving very swiftly. So he did move a significant distance from the time I arrived to him to the time we picked him out of the water.”

The man was pulled from the water and into a rescue boat less then ten minutes after the initial call.

“It was very paramount that we got there quickly. We were able to deploy our boats quickly and get to him. That’s the biggest issue is that the water is moving very swiftly. People don’t realize how fast the water is moving,” Saul said.

Zimmerman and Saul noted that heavy traffic and rain further complicated the rescue efforts.

“The sudden downpour didn’t help us,” Zimmerman said. “It diminished our visibility.”

Saul also mentioned that the rainy conditions exacerbated issues with traffic congestion while en route to the river.

“Driving through traffic at 5:30 at night, especially when it’s pouring rain in the city of Harrisburg, it’s no easy task,” said Saul. “Our one boat responding did come across a bunch of traffic. there’s a lot of times that people fail to yield to fire apparatus or emergency services.

“People don’t want to move out of our way for any calls, let alone this type of event,” he added. “Time is of the essence. This gentleman was drowning.”

For firefighter Kauffman, Monday marked onyl his fourth shift and first night shift since completing his training.

“We do swimming, swimming skills, in-boat skills, getting victims out of the water – just like we had to do the other day,” Kauffman said. “But they make sure we have that training before we hit the street to ensure that we are ready for these types of incidents.”

Rescue crews typically arrive prepared with rafts, hard-bottomed boats, and utility vehicles stocked with essential gear.

A dive rescue team is also on standby for water incidents requiring specialized expertise.

“The three of us, the lieutenant, firefighter Byers and myself, all have additional training for advanced line systems and service water rescue that go into play with that,” Saul said.

Saul cautioned against untrained individuals attempting water rescues, addressing social media commentary about why bystanders didn’t jump in.He emphasized the extreme danger of rapidly moving water.

“That’s a very, very risky idea and concept, because that water is moving so quick,” said Saul.

The rescued man was transported to Harrisburg Hospital for evaluation. His current condition is unknown.

If you or someone you no is at risk for suicide, contact the national crisis hotline by calling or texting 988.