SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead says the five South Dakota Department of Transportation workers are heroes in stopping a suicide yesterday on a bridge over I-90..
"Quite frankly, these Department of Transportation workers saved this young man's life," Milstead said. "Their quick thinking resulted in the individual only having minimal injuries."
The men who saved the young man are:
Gary Steinhoff, Chris Peters, Adam Feistner, Jordan Doane, and Kurt Theisen.
Milstead said they went way above and beyond the call of duty. Milstead described their efforts.
"They recognized what the threat was," Milstead said. "Two of the DOT workers went up and were trying to negotiate with the young man to try to get him to stop. The other three were involved in trying to stop and divert traffic. As the kid would move from one lane, they'd move traffic to the other lane, slowing traffic down, making the idea of jumping into an oncoming vehicle something the kid couldn't do."
After all this, Milstead said the youth tried to hang himself. The knot slipped and the workers broke his fall. The juvenile then still wanted to run into traffic and the workers restrained him.
Also involved in trying to help the young man was a counselor from McCrossen's Boys Ranch, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office.
Milstead said the young man was only slightly injured, taken to the hospital, and getting the help he needs.
Click above to watch Milstead's comments.