A man jumped from the Guy West pedestrian bridge over the American River with a noose around his neck but was saved when cut down by a passerby.

A witness saw the man jump about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday from the bridge that spans the river between Sacramento State and University Avenue. The male passerby told officers that he had tried to dissuade the man from jumping to no avail.

When the man jumped, the witness, who police said is apparently homeless, ran to the bridge railing. He then cut the rope that was tied to the bridge at one end and around the man’s neck at the other.

The man fell 30 to 40 feet to the ground under the bridge and remained alert, according to a Sacramento Police department watch summary. The witness then escorted the man, who suffered minor injuries in the fall, to the top of the bridge where they were eventually met by Sacramento Fire Department personnel.

The despondent man was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Bill Lindelof: 916-321-1079, @Lindelofnews

Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.