Police talk woman down from bridge

Police negotiators talked a woman down from a bridge she was about to jump off on the Waikato River early today.

The woman was spotted on the far side of the railings of Hamilton's Victoria Bridge by police officers shortly after midnight, Senior Sergeant Karl Thornton said.

"Officers ran down from the station and cordoned off the road while appeals were made for her to come down. While this was going on other staff launched the police rescue boat."

Negotiators then took two hours to convince the woman to come off the bridge, he said.

After she came down, the woman was taken for clinical assessment, to work out the most suitable medical help for her, Mr Thornton said.

- NZPA