business news - Deborah Burst

PHOTO BY FRANK AYMAMI
52 September/October 2010
w o r d
with John Crosby, Crosby Development president, local hero
By Craig Guillot
Contributing Writer
Age: 58
Family: wife, Cathy; adult children, John III, Andrew, Christine
Education: bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Tulane University
Hometown: New Orleans
M
andeville resident John Crosby became a local
hero April 19 when he jumped into Lake
Pontchartrain to help a despondent man who
had jumped from the Causeway Bridge near mile marker
13. Crosby treaded water with the jumper for more than
seven minutes before police arrived to lift them both from
the lake. Crosby, president of Crosby Development, took
a few moments to tell North Shore Report readers more
about what happened that day.
How did you come upon the scene?
I normally don’t even travel the Causeway but I brought a
friend to the airport that morning. I was about halfway
over the bridge when I saw a car stopped in the left lane.
I slowed down and as I got close, a guy ran out the passenger
side door and jumped off the bridge.
What was going through your head
at the time?
Your first thought is that it isn’t even happening. I pulled
in front of the car, walked to the side and saw him. He
really wasn’t moving around much and his head kept
going underwater. I couldn’t just sit there and watch this
guy go down. It would have haunted me forever.
So you jumped in?
Yeah, I took my shoes off, put my phone down and jumped
in about 10 feet on the side of him. I swam up behind him,
put him in a headlock and treaded water for about seven
minutes until the police got there. My father had done a
similar thing in 1953 when he saved a man in the river.
You must be a good swimmer.
Yes, I knew I was in shape to do it and could tread water
for a long time. I cycle about 100 to 150 miles per week.
We were at mile 13 so there was no land or anything to
swim to. I knew we’d have to wait to be hoisted out.
Were you scared or concerned
at any point?
Not really. He was pretty much out of it so holding him
wasn’t a concern. I was trying to talk to him but he just
didn’t respond or say anything. The water was very
cold and towards the end I started to shiver uncontrollably.
When they got me out, they took off all my
clothes and put me in the back of a police car with the
heater on to warm me up.
Would you do it again?
I think so, depending on the circumstances. If it would
have been at night in high winds, I’m not sure, but it was
a calm day. Or, if he had been making an effort to help
himself, I might not have jumped in. The guy needed help
and I knew I could help him.
Have you since had any contact
with the man?
No. His mother and sister did call me a couple days later to
thank me. They gave me a little background on what he
was dealing with. I just said to tell him that he has a second
chance and not to waste it. You feel like you’ve really done
something to help someone and I hope that if someone in
my family needs help someday, someone will be there.
Some people asked why I risked myself to help a
man who (presumably) wanted to kill himself. I’ve actually
had two friends that have had suicides in their family
and they said they wish someone would have been there
when they made that decision. That meant more to me
than anything.•