Photo courtesy of Drew Harman.
Drew Harman was fishing with friends at about 2:30 p.m. Aug. 7 when he saw a woman jump off the Interstate 30 bridge into Lake Ray Hubbard.
Harman, who is a rising senior at Lake Highlands High School, was with his friends Laney Norris and Caroline Barfoot. While driving through the Bass Sports Pro Shop port, he saw a woman park her car and jump over the rail. Harman soon noticed the woman was flailing in the water.
“She looked like she couldn’t swim, so we turned around, and she’s face down in the water not moving,” Harman says. He jumped into the water to help her.
Harman says the woman fought back and started hitting him, telling him to let her go and let her die.
“I thought she was dead; I just wanted to save her,” Harman says. “I didn’t know she was trying to commit suicide.”
A passing boater saw the altercation and came to assist. People on the boat helped Harman hold onto the woman and called police.
Barfoot threw a life jacket to Harman, and they waited in the water for help to arrive. Harman asked the woman for her name, but she would only respond, “it doesn’t matter.”
Police came to the boat ramp and helped calm the woman down and take her to safety.
“She didn’t want any help. She just wanted to go,” Harman says.
Harman says he hasn’t heard any update on the woman.
