According to West Norriton Deputy Police Chief Dale Mabry, police from West Norriton, Norristown, and Bridgeport police departments responded to the Dannehower Bridge at approximately 3:40 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 3 for a report of a man possibly about to jump from the West Norriton side of bridge.
On the scene, officers observed a bicycle resting against the southbound side of the bridge and a man hanging on to the outside of the guardrail not far away. The officer reportedly approached the unidentified man and offered assistance.
"The fellow said that he was tired," said Deputy Chief Mabry. "[That] he wanted to kill himself."
The officer offered to find help for the man, but he reportedly dropped his legs from the concrete wall and was hanging from the guardrail by his arms. The officer quickly grabbed the man's wrist and with the help of other officers pulled him to safety.
The man was reportedly transported to Einstein Medical Center Montgomery where he was cleared medically and then taken to Montgomery County Emergency Services for psychiatric evaluation.
So I asked Norristown Council Member Bill Caldwell (our resident historian) about the issue and he said that as it was explained to him, when Norristown incorporated itself it left those portions that are now West and East Norriton out of its lines. Those residents not part of the borough were just considered residents of Montgomery County. When those unincorporated parts were eventually organized into their own municipalities, they took on those parts left out by Norristown. Apparently Norristown could have made a grab for them at the time, but declined for whatever reason.