During the game he called between the Pirates and Rays, Major League Baseball umpire John Tumpane had a visual reminder of the heroic deed he performed earlier in the day.
The 34-year-old from Oak Lawn prevented a woman from jumping from Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente Bridge on Wednesday. But even after the woman was safe and being treated at a hospital, he admitted his view of the bridge from behind home plate kept taking him back to the moment.
“Standing in there between innings, looking at the bridge … you’re looking at it the whole game. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind throughout the game,” Tumpane told radio hosts Matt Spiegel and Danny Parkins on WSCR-AM 670 on Thursday. “Thankfully it was positive memory of that bridge and not one that would be a tough one to live with. It was a memorable day, but I’m glad it ended the way it did for everybody involved.”
Tumpane was walking across the bridge Wednesday after lunch and an afternoon run.
“In the short distance I saw this woman put her leg up on the rail — obviously it grabbed my attention,” said Tumpane, who attended St. Laurence High School in Burbank. “As I got a little closer, she attempted it again and got to the other side.”
Tumpane asked her what she was doing and she replied she wanted to get a better view of the city.
“At that point I knew that was not the case,” he said.
Tumpane tried to convince her to get off the ledge but she refused.
“I got both arms around and I said, ‘I’m not going to let you go.'”
He got a passerby to call 911 and another to help him hold on to the woman until emergency responders arrived.
As she was being treated, “we were still there because she told me I would just forget her and no one wants to help her. I just went back to her and said, ‘I didn’t forget you. All these people here care about you,’ and we’re glad she’s on this side.”
Tumpane added that he has tried to track down the woman to check on her, but medical privacy laws have prevented him from contacting her.
His actions received national attention.
“The story wasn’t about me yesterday, I’m glad we were able to save her,” he said. “The story’s more about her and her life continuing, and I hope that as much support as all of the guys that helped got, she has the family and friend support that she needs and this turns out to be a turnaround for her and a better day than yesterday, for sure.”
Twitter @_phil_thompson
