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An emergency response on the Ambassador Bridge Monday afternoon forced a temporary shutdown of the important international crossing, causing long traffic lineups in Windsor.
One of North America’s busiest border crossings was closed around 4 p.m., according to the Canada Border Services Agency, for what was described as an emergency medical incident.
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Windsor Fire and Rescue Services deputy chief James Waffle told the Star that crews were dispatched around 3:30 p.m. following reports of an individual jumping from the bridge and landing on scaffolding approximately 15 to 18 feet below.
Waffle said cross-border traffic was halted in both directions for about 45 minutes while members of Windsor Fire’s ropes rescue team worked to lift the individual to safety.
“We have staff that are trained and part of the provincial Urban Search and Rescue Team, which specializes in structural collapse,” said Waffle.
“But one of the components in dealing with with that type of incident is that they have to be qualified in ropes rescue. I’d say they were pretty dialled in there yesterday.”
Waffle said the individual was transported to hospital by Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services. He was unable to provide an update on the individual’s condition as of Tuesday.
During Monday’s shutdown, flashing red lights from several emergency vehicles were visible midway across the bridge. Transport trucks bound for the international border crossing lined Huron Church Road bumper-to-bumper as far south as the E.C. Row Expressway.
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Waffle said the rescue operation was a joint effort with Windsor Police Service, Essex-Windsor Emergency Medical Services, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
In an emailed statement around 4 p.m. on Monday afternoon, ship mail delivery company J.W. Westcott, operating out of the Port of Detroit, said “traffic going into Windsor appears to be stopped.”
The company added that its M.S. Westcott vessel responded to the situation and remained stationed beneath the bridge.
Reached for comment, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told the Star on Tuesday that the “incident occurred on the Canadian side of the bridge” and directed all further questions to Canadian authorities.
The Canadian Border Services Agency spokesperson told the Star to contact the Ambassador Bridge, which did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday ahead of the Star’s print deadline.
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Windsor-Detroit Tunnel Corporation CEO Tal Czudner told the Star that the emergency situation at the bridge triggered traffic disruptions at the tunnel as well.
Czudner said he became aware of “the unfortunate situation at the Ambassador Bridge and it being closed” around 4 p.m. on Monday. He said the incident coincided with an influx of concert-goers travelling to see Billie Eilish at Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit, along with the usual afternoon commuters from Detroit to Windsor.
At its peak, he said tunnel wait times to enter Windsor reached about 35 minutes, and 25 minutes for those travelling to Detroit. Traffic congestion at the tunnel cleared up by approximately 6:50 p.m.
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