Harbor Boulevard closed after jump threat

Northbound lanes of Harbor Boulevard were closed near the San Diego (405) Freeway on Tuesday after a man threatened to jump from the overpass, authorities said.

Police received the call about 4:15 p.m., according to Costa Mesa Police Department Lt. Bob Ciszek.

At 4:35 p.m., a SIG Alert was issued for the freeway at the Harbor exit and three lanes were closed, according to sigalert.com. A camera from the website showed a man sitting at the edge of the freeway’s wall, with California Highway Patrol officers nearby.

Traffic along Sunflower Avenue, Harbor Boulevard and South Coast Drive was impacted by the closure.

Drivers trapped in the traffic on Harbor complained and yelled for the man to jump so they could get on with their drives.

When one driver learned what was happening, he yelled for the man to “jump already” as he cursed the inconvenience. Another said the fall “isn’t even that bad; just do it.”

Drivers snapped photos on their cell phones as the man sat on the overpass wall above them. First responders waited in case he jumped.

As the man looked over the edge several times and waved at the people honking, CHP and CMPD officers inched slowly toward him from both sides as they continued to talk with him. He, in turn, inched closer to the steep edge.

About 5:20 p.m. the man was coaxed down from the apparent suicide attempt, Ciszek said.

He was described as about 50 years old, but no further details were available.

— Lauren Williams and Don Leach

Twitter: @lawilliams30