Tumpane: hero in blue

Umpire John Tumpane often has to defuse tense situations at the ballpark.

None compared to the scene he came upon Wednesday as he walked across the Roberto Clemente Bridge in Pittsburgh around 3 p.m. on his way back from a run and lunch: A few hundred yards from PNC Park, he saw a woman climb over a railing and look toward the Allegheny River below.

“Obviously, that grabbed my attention,” said Tumpane, 34, before the Pirates game against the Rays, in which the Chicago native was the home-plate umpire. “I asked a couple in front of me, ‘What’s this lady trying to do?’ and they said, ‘I don’t know.’ ”

The bridge was mostly empty at that time of day. Tumpane rushed toward the woman, who appeared calm, and asked what was going on.

“I just wanted to get a better look of the city from this side,” she replied, according to the umpire’s recollection.

“Oh no,” Tumpane said, hooking his arm around hers. “You don’t want to do that. It’s just as good over here. Let’s go grab some lunch and talk.”

“No, no, no,” she answered. “I’m better off on this side. Just let me go.”

“I’m not going to let you go,” he said. “Let’s talk this out.”

As they talked, Tumpane mouthed to a passer-by, “Call 911.” The woman became more emotional. She cried and tried to slip from his grip. He locked both arms around her back. At times, she dangled both feet off the bridge, putting her full weight in his arms.

“I was thinking, ‘God, this has got to be a good ending, not a bad ending,’ and held on,” Tumpane said. “She said, ‘You don’t care about me.’ I said, ‘I care. ... You’re going to be all right.’ ”

A police boat arrived, then a helicopter, an ambulance, a fire truck and a police officer. They put a life preserver on the woman and handcuffed one of her wrists to the bridge.

Tumpane said he told her, “‘Look at all these people who want to help you. ... We want to get you better.’ ”

Back over the railing, the woman was laid on a mat. Tumpane said he asked her first name, and she gave it, and he prayed for her.

“I told her, ‘I didn’t forget her, and we’d be here, and she’s better off on this side than the other side.’ ” he recalled.

The woman was taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to Pittsburgh police.

“I was just glad to help,” Tumpane said.

Briefly: The Cubs cut Miguel Montero after the catcher blamed pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases in Tuesday’s loss to the Nationals . ... Tim Tebow got his first hit with the St. Lucie (Fla.) Mets, a single that broke an 0-for-11 stretch . ... Robert Gsellman (strained left hamstring) became the sixth Mets starting pitcher to go on the disabled list this season.