Bystander helps rescue man who fell into the river near Pittsburgh's Mister Rogers statue
A man was rescued from the river along the North Shore River Walk thanks to some quick action by a bystander.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety, just before 3 a.m., police, fire, and EMS were called to a reported drowning near the Mister Rogers Memorial on the North Shore.
Prior to first responders arriving on the scene, a bystander heard a man screaming for help in the river. He was able to locate the man, call 911, and hold onto his arm while they waited for help to arrive.
Once police, fire, EMS, and the River Rescue Unit arrived, they joined the bystander and were able to pull the man from the river. The man was treated at the scene for hypothermia and is now in the hospital in stable condition.
The man told first responders that he didn't know how he fell into the river, but police say alcohol may have been a factor.
Questions remain as NFL draft crowds loom
The bigger concern is, as the city prepares for massive NFL draft crowds, could this happen again?
Along the riverwalk, there are no barriers between the walkway and the river.
In eight days, this stretch will be packed with thousands of people, many drinking and moving in and out of the area late into the night.
"I think a lot of people are coming to drink, celebrate the NFL, to drink and party, and it's going to be interesting how many rescues they're going to have to do before the week is out," North Shore visitor Ken Hinkle said.
"The draft is a big party event and has a lot of people doing a lot of things. So, I wish the city would consider putting up some barriers and at least having people watch out more overnight," Bobby Balmer added.
Some say that's where the concern really kicks in: not during the day but overnight.
It's not just the city's responsibility to keep people safe. It comes down to people paying attention when they're this close to the water.
"It's pretty well-lit, just other people have to look out for each other, that's the important thing, but I don't see it as being a major concern," Frank Marzano said.
Not everyone who spoke with KDKA-TV is that confident.
"If they don't have a barrier, with all the people they've got running around, in my opinion, there's going to be more than one person in the river," Hinkle said.
"It's not that long. It's five days or so. It's an easy amount of time to put something up," Balmer added.
KDKA-TV reached out to Pittsburgh Public Safety to find out if any additional safety measures are planned here ahead of the draft, and is still awaiting a response.
