Woman Rescued After Falling Off Bridge

Water Taxi crew witnesses woman falling into river

Wendella Water Taxi employees and fire crews rescued a woman Monday morning after she fell into the river at the Roosevelt Street bridge.

Employees in the water taxi, which was en route to Chinatown, saw the woman hanging from the bridge around 11:30 a.m. A short time later, Captain Ragna Russo and mate David Blackford saw the woman fall into the river and called police and fire crews.

"She was hanging on for dear life until she fell," Wendella Vice President Craig Wenokur said.

The water taxi picked up fire crew members and worked with them to perform a "man overboard drill," which Wenokur said is a standard training procedure for water taxi employees.

The woman was taken on board the boat and eventually transported to Northwestern Hospital.

Wenokur said it's believed the woman was taking a smoking break when she slipped and fell into the river.

"Fortunately for her they were there, because that is a not often traveled part of the river," Wenkour said.

The woman survived the incident but her condition was not released.

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