(UPDATE 7:20 p.m.): Officials with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office say the man who climbed onto an overpass in Goleta is a 48-year-old Oxnard man. Sheriff’s deputies requested California Highway Patrol shut down Highway 101 and started to talk with the suicidal man. After about 20 minutes, he reportedly untied the cloth from his neck and sat back from the edge of the sign support.
If you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at (800)273-8255(TALK).
To access Santa Barbara County mental health services, please call the Access line at (888) 868-1649.
(UPDATE 5:05 p.m.): Santa Barbara County Fire Department Captain Dave Zaniboni says Highway 101 in Goleta is back open after fire crews rescued a man who was hanging from a sign on the Turnpike overpass.
The initial call came in around 3:50 p.m. Sunday.
Zaniboni says the man climbed over fencing and onto the sign over the southbound lanes of Highway 101. Fire officials say when they arrived, the man was “hanging off of the sign over the highway.”
A firefighter was able to secure the man onto the sign and put a harness around him until a ladder truck arrived. The man was guided down the ladder by fire crews. No injuries were reported.
The highway was shut down for about 30 minutes while the rescue was in progress.
Highway 101 at Patterson near Goleta was closed for a brief moment because of a distraught person.
CHP said the opened the freeway after a short time.
