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Patrick Blanchard, 28, was on his way to his job at Portland Parks & Recreation just before 6:15 a.m. on April 27, when he saw a truck and some bikes parked on the side of the on-ramp to I-205 at Southeast Division Street.
Something made him stop, Blanchard says, and he walked toward the railing.
He realized the driver of the truck was holding a man by the leg, preventing him from jumping.
"I just remember looking over the railing; your mind snaps into go-time," says Blanchard.
He returned to his car for straps he'd used for moving furniture and, with help, tied the man to the railing while they waited for police.
"Five minutes felt like five years," he says.
Now he's left re-living the moment—feeling good but also wondering what would have happened if he and his fellow good Samaritans had come too late.
"This is something that feels extremely burdensome to hold inside and the best way I've found to cope with it is through sharing a situation where people came together and acted as a team when it came to someone's life," he said. "There were at least half a dozen civilian heroes today and they deserve every ounce of praise for coming together."
Here's the Portland Police Bureau's release:
Willamette Week