Nevada Highway Patrol trooper says ‘teamwork’ led to woman’s rescue

A Nevada Highway Patrol trooper who risked his life to save a woman clinging to the edge of a Las Vegas Valley highway overpass said Monday he was just doing his job.

“I served in the Army, did six years in the Army, and I wanted to keep serving,” trooper Rafael Rodriguez said. “I want to serve my community. I love Las Vegas.”

Rodriguez was called about 10:50 p.m. June 1 to a pedestrian “possibly suffering mental distress” in the area of U.S. Highway 95 and Russell Road. Rodriguez arrived and found a woman clinging to the exterior fencing of the overpass. He said he started talking to the woman to “build that rapport, gain that trust.”

“She just kept apologizing to me: ‘I’m sorry for what I’m going to do. I’m sorry for my kids,’” Rodriguez said. “And I just told her, she didn’t need to apologize. … Mental health, it’s a big issue, and for her to be crying out for help, she did nothing wrong. She just needed help.”

In an astonishing act that was captured on video, Rodriguez climbed over the fencing and handcuffed the woman to it — risking his own life – so Henderson firefighters could rescue her with a ladder.

Rodriguez said Henderson firefighters gave him the idea to handcuff her, telling him she might get hurt but would survive.

“I grabbed her by the wrist, grabbed my handcuffs, secured myself by putting as low a balance on that fence so I wouldn’t tip over,” Rodriguez said. “I grabbed her wrist, secured it to the fence, grabbed her other wrist and secured it to the fence.”

The woman was taken to a hospital for a mental health evaluation. The rescue happened at the same time a Las Vegas police officer, Shay Mikalonis, was shot in the head on the Strip. He remains in critical condition at University Medical Center.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Nathan Peterson said he was amazed by Rodriguez’s bravery in saving a mother of five.

“It was just incredible to me what he did that night. … We couldn’t be more proud as an agency,” Peterson said.

Rodriguez said he would not have done anything differently. He credited firefighters, troopers and Henderson police with making the rescue possible.

“All-around teamwork, the pieces falling in line,” Rodriguez said. “Just perfect.”

Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.