Major League umpires are trained to respond instantaneously to just about everything on the diamond, but umpire John Tumpane reacted quickly to help save a woman's life Wednesday in Pittsburgh.Tumpane, who served as the home-plate umpire in Wednesday's game between the Rays and Pirates, was walking across Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente Bridge just outside PNC Park when he spotted a woman climb the railing in a potential attempt to jump off and into the Allegheny River, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Tumpane ran to the woman, who told him she wanted a better view of the city from the other side of the railing, according to his recollection of the events to the Gazette.
"You don't want to do that," Tumpane recalled saying to the woman as he hooked his arm around hers. "It's just as good over here. Let's go grab some lunch and talk."Tumpane was able to get a passerby to call 911 as the woman continued to try to evade his grasp and jump off the bridge. But Tumpane held tight, refusing to let her go."I was thinking, 'God, this has got to be a good ending, not a bad ending,' and held on for dear life," Tumpane told the Gazette.With the assistance of others, Tumpane was able to hold the woman in place until emergency responders arrived and handcuffed her wrist to the bridge. She was eventually transported away to safety on an ambulance, thanks to the quick-thinking response from the seventh-year umpire."It's a sad day, but it ended on a positive note," he said. "Hopefully it's an eye-opener for her as well, and it can help her get back on track."
Matt Kelly / MLB.com
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