On Sunday, Sept. 11 at 9:20 a.m., off-duty Polk County Fire Rescue Firefighter/EMT Jeremy Metsky was traveling home from his shift when he spotted an individual sitting on the edge of an overpass wall located above the westbound lanes of I-4 near mile marker 3 in Tampa.
Once Metsky observed that the individual was possibly in distress, he quickly got off on the next exit and began contacting Florida Highway Patrol dispatch to report an individual that appeared ready to jump off the overpass onto the highway below. After notifying FHP, Metsky reached the overpass where the individual was located, and he quickly exited his vehicle to begin conversating with the subject and establish a connection until law enforcement arrived on the scene.
Upon law enforcement’s arrival, an FHP Trooper began working to distract the subject which provided Firefighter/EMT Metsky which an opportunity to successfully remove the individual from the overpass wall and secure the individual from a potentially tragic situation.
“The composure and bravery Firefighter/EMT Metsky displayed when he was faced with a difficult situation is exceptional,” said Polk County Fire Rescue Interim Fire Chief Rick Parnell. “We are extremely proud of Firefighter/EMT Metsky’s quick-thinking and the brave actions he displayed yesterday morning to help save a life and assist his fellow first responders.”
Awesome work Firefighter/EMT Metsky!