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The 29-year-old man was headed to the bridge "threatening to jump from the south walkway near the New York tower" when police got a call just after 4 p.m., the authority's Joseph Pentangelo told Daily Voice.
Sgt. Mike Barry directed a canvas of the entire south walk of the GWB, along with the lower level and all access ramps, while Lt. George Massouridis got the man's cellphone number and called him.
Massouridis "engaged him in conversation and was able to determine his location in a park in Fort Lee -- but not the exact spot," Pentangelo said.
The lieutenant texted the information to Barry, who found the man -- still on the phone with Massouridis.
He tried to run, but Barry quickly grabbed him without further incident, Pentangelo said.
The man "admitted that he had traveled to the bridge earlier with the intention to jump off," he said.
He was taken to Bergen Regional Medical Center for evaluation and treatment.
It was the 54th intervention for Port Authority police this year. As of Friday, there had been 9 confirmed suicides from the span after a 17-year-old Manhattan boy jumped to his death as PAPD police rushed to stop him.
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