For the third time in seven months, Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies and members of the Palm Coast Fire Department and Flagler County Fire Rescue late Tuesday night talked a 17-year-old girl down from the I-95 overpass at Palm Coast Parkway.
The girl, a B-Section resident who lives with her father, had walked on the overpass’s ledge on the side of a metal barrier facing traffic, as she had the two times before, in June and July.
“It’s OK, we’re going to help you down, but you’re going to keep holding on, ok?” one of the first deputies at the scene told her as she kept inching her way toward the center of the span.
“Leave me alone,” she told the two cops, one of whom told her a female cop was on her way: from previous experience, the deputies knew the girl did not like to deal with male authorities. But she kept walking. Traffic in both directions was halted. She told deputies she had swallowed pills and that it was “too late.” At 11:50, when a female deputy had arrived, the girl allowed her to hold her hand.
“Jumping off this bridge is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, OK?” the deputy tells her, according to body camera video of the incident, parts of which the Sheriff’s Office issued today. “There’s things that you can work through and get past this, but you’ll never know if you don’t try to come back over on this side, OK?” The deputy tells her she was not in trouble.
Rather than handcuff her to the metal barrier or transfer her through a fire department’s ladder-truck bucket, as had been done previously, members of the sheriff’s Crisis Negotiations Team persuaded her to walk back along the ledge to the edge of the bridge, where they could secure her. As in previous occasions, the girl was Baker Acted at Halifax hospital. On those previous occasions, she was eventually released back to the custody of her father.
“This is another outstanding rescue by all involved,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “The quick response and combined efforts of FCSO deputies, Crisis Negotiations, Communications Center, Fire Rescue, and the deputies holding the juvenile’s hand saved her life again. Their training in de-escalation techniques and being able to talk to someone who’s threatening to take their life is remarkable. I commend everyone who stepped up for this child’s life for the third time in six months. This child continues to need significant help and I am once again asking the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and her parents to get this juvenile the help she needs before it is too late. We have also asked the Florida Department of Transportation to access how they can secure the bridge to prevent acts like this but so far have not had any action.”
There are numerous resources for help with mental health struggles in Flagler County. For more information visit FlaglerLifeline or call 800-273-8255.
A.j says
Good job.
Lorraine says
This is sad!! This girl needs some serious help and she obviously is not getting it!!
Old Hulk. says
Back to her father??? That stranged, because she seems not happy with a Male. She felt not safety at all…
Hope not from those bullies at her school.
I applauded to fire and sheriff department to save the poor girl’s life.
Dear Girl, please seek help and you will felt better.
Grandpa
Carol Pagliuca says
Why hasn’t this girl gotten any help?
Carol says
There is something drastically wrong with this picture. Where is the counseling and if she is having it something is wrong with that also.
What is going on in her home life? She may not be so lucky and rescued the next time. Someone needs to step in and help this girl now.
ASF says
At the very least, this girl’s father does not know how to deal with his daughter’s very serious Mental Health challenges. Whether he may be actively contributing to them in some other way is something the DFC should be investigating.
T says
I wish are mental health care was even good around here no doctor’s for low income insurance or do they care it’s sad the girl is crying out for help I hope she gets help life sucks but not worth that.
SFS says
This young lady is desperately crying out for help and is being failed by the systems designed to keep her safe. She is a juvenile being returned to the same home environment in both June and July 2021.
She was on the overpass again Tuesday.
With gratitude to the first responders who assisted her in the immediate crisis of taking her life and saw her to safety.
Based on 3 attempts at ending her life in a seven month period, a safe longer-term juvenile program sounds in order. She then can get any therapies necessary and learn life skills to include any medication management.
This young lady is falling through the cracks of behavioral health services. A 3-day psych hold and out the door to be returned home to a male authority figure, her father, is not working.
She is screaming for help says
DCF, what are you doing? Returning the child to her Father? No!
Baker acting her for 3 days then sending her back to the place where she is in harms way is not protecting her. She is not throw away. She needs residential care, a good therapist to get to the bottom of the issue. Open a case and assign a seasoned caseworker to investigate.
This goes out to all adults involved; We are watching your next move.
Pissed in PC says
It would seem to me if she doesn’t like males that releasing her back to her father is clearly not in her best interest for any kind of meaningful treatment. DCF is failing this child and until someone steps up and demands more accountability she will just continue on this path till she’s gone.
Thank Goodness says
Go for it Carol!Take it for the team!Step in and help this girl!
Jay tomm says
From my counseling days, if 1 is serious about ending it, there are many easier ways. This is more for attention. She wanted to talk to a female, she was passing back & forth on the ledge, this is the 3rd time she did the same thing. Not signs she actually wants to kill herself.
The fact she was released back to the father 2 times now, would indicate to me the doctors didn’t sense she was a real harm to herself.
I do question the home life. Someone needs to get involved there.
Trailer Bob says
Sad. Someone has to come up with a better solution before it is too late.
Carrie says
Does anyone knows what it’s like to be Backer Act? I had a bad incident many years ago and I was Baker Act! It’s so awful there I wanted to kill myself there! It was horrible! There has to be a better system for people who need help getting through a bad time in their life. I was groped by men while I was there (I am a female) a man running around naked! Watched a lady try to kill herself right in front of us! There is no protection in the facility,! No respect! Treated like trash! If you have good insurance they keep you as long as they can for the money. It’s so sad. I am well now but it was horrible!
Laurie says
This girl has been in and out of HBS numerous times. She is not getting the help there!
Richard Smith says
She’ll never jump, she needs help…
Mark says
There is no mental health care in this county. Just a plethora of deputies to make criminals of youth and shape their future with incarceration for profit over rehabilitation.
JJ says
SFS,
Agree, it’s an endless cycle!
Carol B says
Welcome to Palm Coast. If your life was good and u move here give it 10 years and it will be ruined. Get out while u can. Bad jou jou in that City.
T.J says
3 times. 3 times she has sent out a final call for help. 3 times she could off blown her dome sky high but chose to walk off the ledge. 3 times you guys could have helped her, but DCF in FL is a joke. doesn’t anybody see a pattern? Jesus.
Mary Fusco says
Funny, my life was good before I moved to PC 22 years ago and it is still good. Sadly, Palm Coast attracts garbage and then caters to the garbage. I don’t bother with garbage so I am good. Sadly, down the road, the decent people will move on and this will be a city full of garbage. BTW, you get out of life, what you put into it. A city can’t ruin your life but you sure can.
Timothy Patrick Welch says
Florida has funded may programs to serve those in need.
Sadly many are hollow shells with a righteous name and a just purpose.
jane doh says
you know, you might have something there for real. It does have a bad feeling about it – a transitory feeling, not a hospitable or welcoming feeling, not a homelike feeling.
T says
Where at send info to her then and at low cost or insurance or low income but they want money or they don’t care
REALIST says
Its not they want money or don’t care-do you work for free?Its like anything else. If you have top notch health insurance you’re going to get top notch medical care. If you only have government funded insurance which pays very little or next to nothing you will not get the same degree of help. So your saying send her options for great care at low cost? Send me a Mercedes S500 AMG for the same cost as a ford fiesta.See what your saying or no?I know somebody is gonna comment or be butthurt about comparing a car to human but at the end of the day reality is-money still and always will make the world go round.No different than well known person/people walking around with HIV for the last 25 yrs. How many people that didnt have that same care have expired already. Hope is not a plan
Connie says
Will someone please intervene and help this child.