Trespasser On Bay Bridge Talked Down To Safety

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A man who climbed onto the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge Wednesday morning was talked to safety early Wednesday afternoon after forcing the closure of two westbound lanes for hours according to authorities.

The lane closure triggered a massive traffic backup heading into San Francisco.

Authorities said the incident began around 10:14 a.m. when a man described as wearing a gray sweatshirt and baseball cap was seen on the bridge in an agitated state.

He then climbed onto the center anchorage support structure on the bridge. Helicopter video showed the man texting and talking on his cellphone with a red truck stopped on the bridge.

Officers from the California Highway Patrol and San Francisco Police crisis negotiators were on the scene.

The San Francisco CHP office tweeted out that the man had been brought down safely at about 1:15 p.m.

While all westbound lanes were reopened, drivers should expect some residual delays in traffic getting into San Francisco.

In:
• Bay Bridge
• California Highway Patrol
• Oakland
• San Francisco