The situation started just after 10 a.m. on the upper level of the bridge, causing police to shut down that part of the GWB in both directions.
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Port Authority Police said the man was holding a weapon as he was hanging off the outside of the upper level railing.
During their rescue attempt, Port Authority Police were able to get the man to surrender the weapon -- what officials later described as a "starter pistol."
Officers continued talking with the man and eventually were able to pull him over the railing to safety.
Watch the unedited video from NewsCopter 7 showing the rescue:
Raw: Suicidal man rescued from side of GWB
According to the Department of Transportation, as of 10:20 a.m., police gathered on the westbound side of the bridge, mid-span. All lanes on the upper level were closed, but reopened before noon.
There was an apparently suicidal man on the upper level holding what officials later described as a "starter pistol."
They confiscated the gun, and Port Authority Police officers spoke with the man, who was holding on to the outside of the railing, eventually pulling him to safety.
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How Port Authority Police handle people in danger on the bridge recently became a controversy because officers assigned to the bridge do not carry safety harnesses. That has forced them in the past to grab would-be jumpers at great danger to themselves.
The bridge reopened around 11:20 a.m., but police warned of delays.
A look at New York-bound traffic during the closure: