BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Police say what started as a missing juvenile call quickly turned into a river rescue.
Around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night a 15-year-old girl with special needs was reported missing from her home in the Southeastern side of South Side Bethlehem.
Her parents were home at the time and told officers nothing out of the ordinary had happened, until they realized she was gone. They added that she had no prior history of running away.
Officers immediately began canvassing the nearby area and gathering more information, when they received a separate report from a resident who said they heard screaming in the area of Riverside drive near the Lehigh River.
They then responded to the area and began searching alongside the river and near the Fahy bridge and Hill-to-Hill bridge.
Police say they could hear her calls for help and continued trying to pinpoint where the sounds were coming from; eventually tracing it to an island under the railroad trestle.
The Bethlehem Fire Department water rescue team responded and was able to safely rescue the girl from the river.
Investigators believe the teen either crossed the trestle and fell, or climbed down from it to reach the island.
Bethlehem emergency crews transported the girl to a local hospital for evaluation. At last check, police say she is aware of what happened, and is alert and responsive.
Police are now crediting the concerned citizen who made the phone call with helping safe her life. the department says they plan to nominate that person for a meritorious honor award.