Peterborough police officer Justin Hyland pulled a man from the Contoocook River on Wednesday when the Maine resident jumped in after running away from Monadnock Community Hospital.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 32-year-old man from Bath, Maine was taken by ambulance from Rindge to Monadnock Community Hospital, Peterborough Police Chief Scott Guinard said. Police were initially called when the man left the hospital with an intravenous drip still attached and began running down Old Street Road.
Police began receiving multiple 911 calls about the man, who was reported as running into cars on Old Street Road.
“He was on foot, running into cars, physically,” Guinard said.
Hyland responded and spotted the man at the intersection of Route 202, also known as Hancock Road, and Route 136. When Hyland attempted to approach the man, he ran across Route 202, jumped over the guardrail, and into the Contoocook River, under the dam, Guinard said.
Hyland removed his duty belt and entered the water after the man, who had gone under the waterfall of the dam, Guinard said.
“At one point, he lost sight of the individual, but he was able to reach under and locate him by feel, and pulled him out,” Guinard said.
The individual allegedly became combative with police when they tried to remove him from the river, and Hyland was joined by Peterborough Sgt. Richard Nelson and Sgt. Michael Chapdelaine, as well as two New Hampshire Fish and Game officers who were on the scene, and they were able to extract the man from the river.
Peterborough Fire and Rescue responded to the scene, and were able to bring the man up the steep embankment on a backboard, where he was brought by ambulance back to the hospital.
Guinard said the water in the Contoocook River runs about four feet at its deepest this time of the year, and at about three feet under the dam.
The man was not seriously injured, but had sustained abrasions on his arms, likely from rocks or debris in the river, according to Guinard.
Guinard praised Hyland’s quick action.
“Officer Hyland did an outstanding job, risking his own life to save this man,” Guinard said. “We’re very proud of him.”
Guinard said Hyland and the other officers involved were uninjured.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.