The New River Gorge Bridge was shut down for several hours Thursday morning as the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department responded to reports of a man threatening to jump.

Just after 4 a.m., Fayette County 911 Center received a call reporting a stopped vehicle near the center span of the bridge in the northbound lane and a man standing near the bridge’s railing, Sheriff Steve Kessler said.

When deputies arrived, the man told them he intended to jump from the bridge, Kessler said. At that time, deputies called in members of the Sheriff’s Crisis Negotiations Team while they spoke with the man.

The sheriff said due to the potential danger to officers from traffic, it was decided to completely shut down the bridge just before 6 a.m.

Fayette County deputies were assisted by members of multiple agencies in diverting traffic, using alternate routes of U.S. 60 and W.Va. 16, similar to the detour during the annual bridge day celebrations, Kessler said.

A member of the Crisis Negotiations Team made contact with the man at approximately 5 a.m. The negotiator spoke with the individual for several hours before eventually convincing him to step away from the railing and towards the center of the bridge, Kessler explained.

Other members at the scene were then able to physically restrain the subject and take him into custody. The man’s identity is not being released, but Kessler told The Register-Herald the subject hails from Michigan.

Kessler praised the individuals and agencies involved in the lengthy situation.

“Everyone worked together to stabilize this situation and resolve it in a safe and effective manner. We have four deputy sheriffs who have been trained in crisis negotiations through the FBI. This training has proven invaluable to us in numerous situations where we have been able to resolve critical incidents of this nature without violence or injury to officers or other involved parties,” the sheriff said.

Traffic was restored around 10:30 a.m., shortly after the subject was taken into custody, Kessler continued.

“Normally situations of this nature are resolved much more quickly. Each situation is different and we have to stay fluid in our response based on what develops during any given situation,” he added.

Members from West Virginia State Police, Fayetteville and Oak Hill police, the National Park Service, West Virginia Department of Highways and Fayetteville and Nuttall fire departments assisted the sheriff’s department, Kessler said.

Social media rumors regarding family members being harmed by the man are false, Kessler stressed, stating, “That crap was started on Facebook and none of the rumors are true. No family was thrown from the bridge and the man didn’t hurt anyone. It was only him. And I don’t know why people do that,” he said.

While there was no information provided on the man’s condition or if he was taken to an area hospital for observation, no injuries were sustained, Kessler concluded.

— E-mail: kvanpelt@register-herald.com