Off-duty rescue worker saves woman

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) - An off-duty emergency medical volunteer rescued a woman who had jumped off the High Rise Bridge in Chesapeake.

John Doub has worked as a volunteer for eight years. What he saw happen Tuesday was unexpected, even to him. Doub watched the car in front of him on the bridge stop.

"And I'm thinking, 'Maybe she's broke down,' and I'm kind of a 'fix it' kind of guy maybe I can help her," Doub said. "Then I realize she's not stopping and she walks all the way around to the bridge and jumps off. Truly, my jaw was on the ground the whole time."

Doub says he didn't fully understand what was happening but he immediately jumped into action.

"I ran over to the side and didn't see anything," Doub said. "I looked further hoping not to go over."

Even though he's a trained rescue diver, Doub knew he would not survive the 65-foot drop. He says he grabbed a float our of his truck and managed to throw it close to the woman.

"It landed maybe five or six feet in front of her," Doub said.

Doub said the woman was barely conscious but she managed to hang on until police got to her in a boat. Doub says he will never forget what happened that day.

"There's no better blessing that I've found," Doub said. "You'll never hear from them again and that's fine. You don't really look for that."

There is no word on the woman's condition. Doub says all he knows is that she was taken to a hospital.