Passerby rescues man who tried to hang himself

BILLINGS — A man who tried to hang himself from a bridge over the Yellowstone River in Billings was rescued by a passerby who cut the rope, sending the man into the water.

Lt. Mark Cady tells The Billings Gazette that police received the call at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Witnesses reported a man had tied a rope to his car and to the metal rails on the bridge. The other end was wrapped around his neck.

Witnesses told police the man jumped off the bridge and that a passerby with a knife cut the rope. The man fell an estimated 20 feet into the water.

Cady says the man floated downriver and eventually pulled himself into shallow water. Emergency responders placed him on a gurney and took him to the hospital.