Woman rescued after being stuck between bridge supports in Miami

Rescue crews use canoe to get to woman

MIAMI – A woman who was found underneath the Northeast 79th Street bridge Monday night was rescued by Miami firefighters.

Miami Department of Fire-Rescue crews were quick on their feet, hopped into a canoe and paddled their way to the woman, unsure of her condition.

Their worst fear came true. The woman who'd been stuck between the bridge supports fell into the river.

One of the rescuers held onto the structure and the other pulled the woman to safety.

"During the time, we paddled out there pretty quick, and just as she started moving around, that's when she fell into the water, but luckily we were already close to her," Capt. Ignatius Carroll said.

How the woman ended up in the predicament is still unclear. Tresinel Soloman, who lives in the area, called 911 late Monday after he spotted the woman's feet and couldn't get her attention.

Minutes after the rescue, the woman seemed disoriented in the back of an ambulance. Crews kept asking how she ended up underneath the bridge, where a bag and some clothes had been found.

"We're not sure exactly how she got under the bridge, but in the position where she was, it's definitely the only way to get there is by getting in the water, and the water seemed to be about 7 to 8 feet deep," Carroll said.