Edison cops rescue man who jumped into Raritan River off Route 1 bridge

EDISON - Three township police officers are being recognized for their heroic efforts in rescuing a young man who jumped off the Donald Goodkind Bridge on Route 1 into the Raritan River earlier this week.

"Their efforts were indeed heroic," said Deputy Police Chief Robert Dudash, adding the officers displayed no regard for their own safety by going into the river to rescue the young man. "They worked as a team, all the officers worked as one cohesive unit to be able to not only get the individual to safety, but also to ensure each other's safety and get them out without any major issues."

Around 6:26 a.m. April 15, Edison police were notified that someone had jumped off the southbound side of the bridge, according to Dudash.

Officers immediately responded to Marina Drive below the bridge where they spotted a person in the water. They could see the man's chest rising and falling, Dudash said.

Still uniformed, officers Justin Mas and Julia Bossert went into the water after removing their gun belts and swam through the water and navigated through thick layers of mud about 30 or 40 feet to the first pillar of the bridge where they grabbed onto the man and brought him to the river bank.

Officer Michael Simkovich then waded into the water to help Mas and Bossert bring the man to safety.

Dudash said another Edison officer and a New Brunswick officer also assisted at the scene.

The jumper, a 21-year-old township man, was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he was expected to recover, Dudash said.

Both Bossert, who joined the department in December 2020, and Mas, who was hired in September 2022, were taken to Hackensack Meridian Health JFK University Medical Center in Edison where they were treated for possible hypothermia before being released.

Dudash said he spoke to both officers Monday who said the river water was cold.

Simkovich, who was hired in October 2020, and another officer were evaluated at the scene and released, Dudash said.

Police located a 2019 Ford EcoSport belonging to the jumper left unattended on the bridge.

Edison police recommends that if you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness, to call the suicide hotline at 988 and in emergencies, call 911.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.