It was an emotional reunion for Lubbock Police Officer Mario Sandoval when he passed the home of a young man named Tye, who he pulled from a highway bridge when he was attempting to jump five years ago.
“There are some houses you just never forget. It made a huge impact on my career,” Sandoval said.
Fresh out of the police academy, he said this was one of the first calls he ever responded to as an officer. When he arrived to the bridge near N I-27 and 42nd street, he saw 16-year-old Tye sitting off the ledge.
“I was 22 years old, it was definitely an experience,” Sandoval said. “He was sitting on the concrete with his legs hanging off,”
Tye’s father, Edgar Patrick said it brings tears to his eyes thinking back and realizing he almost lost his son. He called police the night his son ran away, worried he was going to harm himself.
“They say depression is minor, but it’s not. It can take a life in a minute,”Patrick said. “Police responded so quickly, and I’m thankful because he’s my baby boy,”
Sandoval, accompanied by others managed to pull the young man off of the ledge to safety. It was this week when Sandoval reunited with Tye and was happy to see he is doing much better in life, and working hard for his future.
“So often you see this terrible stories where you never see people again, and you don’t know what happened to them or if they are in trouble, but it’s amazing to see he is doing well,” Sandoval said.