On Tuesday, July 13, 1965, Minneapolis Police Officer Richard Gardner was off-duty and out walking on the Lake Street Bridge near West River Road.
Listening to the All Star Game on his transistor radio and enjoying the day, Officer Gardner suddenly noticed a woman walk to the river’s edge, drop her coat and purse on the ground, and jump into the Mississippi.
Officer Gardner ran down to the river bank, jumped in and swam approximately 35 feet to the woman who was by then floating face down and unconscious. Officer Gardner took hold of the woman and shouted to some nearby teenagers to run for help. They ran to a nearby gas station where the attendant called for an ambulance.
After carrying the woman to shore, Officer Gardner administered artificial respiration until she regained full consciousness. He stayed with the woman until an ambulance arrived and she was given further help.
Photograph and story from the Minneapolis StarTribune of July 14, 1965