June 11--LAWRENCE -- After a nearly 8-hour standoff and an extraordinary rescue effort, a man who refused to be rescued finally walked off the derelict train bridge near the Great Stone Dam around 3 a.m. this morning, and remains at-large.
Police Chief John Romero said the rescue attempt, which started around 7:30 p.m., finally ended when the man was seen exiting the underside of the rusted structure on the north side of the Merrimack River.
Police are still looking for him.
"We don't think he went in the water," said Romero, noting that there were two boats downstream of the bridge, including rescue craft from both North Andover and Lawrence.
Also keeping an eye on the man was a State Police helicopter. In all, some 60 rescue personnel, including members of the Essex County Sheriff's Tactical Response Team, responded to the case.
"There was an unbelievable amount of resources expdended for this," Romero said. "But he didn't want to be rescued."
Rescue officials were keeping such a close eye on the man because he was balancing on steel beams just a couple inches wide, walking back and forth over the fast-moving Merrimack River, swollen by recent rainfall.
Romero said the man, whose name has not been released, is known to have done this before.
"He has a history of doing this," Romero said.
Another man was rescued last night after officials lowered a rescue belt attached to a rope to the man. He was arrested for trespassing. The Falls Bridge was closed during the rescue effort.
Copyright 2012 - The Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, Mass.
