On the way home from having dinner in California on Feb. 4, Mike Theesen was heading home over the Thomas Johnson Bridge to Calvert County when he passed what appeared to be a disabled vehicle in the oncoming lane, displaying hazard lights.
“Daddy that lady’s gonna jump,” his daughter Lauren said as they passed.
Seconds later, Theesen was standing next to the distraught woman, who was barefoot and facing off the edge of the highest part of the bridge.
“Hold on Baby, what’s the problem,” he recalls saying, as the wind and rain pounded. “Today’s not gonna be the day.
“A few seconds later I bear-hugged her and threw her over the wall. I held her against the hood of her car until she calmed down.”
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| Grill Sgt. at his post |
Theesen said he “just held her” until she just gave in. The woman recently went through a bitter divorce and other issues. “Whatever you’re going through, it’s going to get better,” he assured her.
Mike Theesen is already a famous locally as the Grill Sergeant, a barbeque stand that operates adjacent the Tiki Bar on Solomon’s Island. He also has a career in law enforcement with the Department of Defense’s Criminal Investigations Division.
“I’ve seen a lot of suicide cases, and usually you’re just too late.”
When he arrived, another man was already out of his car, calling 911 in a cell phone. Calvert Police arrived in minutes.
“In that situation you want to do something, but it depends on the individual. Being in law enforcement, I knew what to do,” Theesen said. ”This is something I’ll never forget.”