LOWELL — A pair of Lowell teens were credited by police with helping prevent a suicidal man from jumping off the Bridge Street Bridge on Monday night.

Shortly after 10 p.m., on two separate occasions, Justin Petterson and Jesse Carrier, both 16, pulled the unidentified man poised to jump into the Merrimack River, back over the bridge’s railing.

“He was just very down and depressed,” said Justin, who spoke about the scenario with Jesse moments after the incident took place. As they spoke, the suicidal individual was loaded into an ambulance by emergency personnel.

According to the teens, they had been on the bridge when they first encountered the suicidal man over the railing. Petterson recalls that the individual had his eyes closed when they first approached.

The pair said they grabbed the man, who later identified himself as “Eric” and told them he was 30 years old, and dragged him back over the railing.

They then walked him to the Dunkin’ Donuts at the corner of Bridge Street and Route 38, a few hundred yards away, but the suicidal man returned to the precarious spot on the bridge.

From Dunkin’ Donuts, the teenagers said they again observed the man on the other side of the bridge railing.

“We ran over here and I was on the phone with the cops, and then the cops came,” Jesse said. “Me and the cop, and (Justin), grabbed him again and we flipped him over (the railing) a second time.”

Jesse added that the depressed man had told them that he had gone to a hospital on Monday morning and had been seeking help, but allegedly did not receive what he needed.

“I feel bad for the guy, to be honest,” Justin said. “As long as he’s safe.”

Sgt. Mike Prescott, who thanked the youths for their assistance at the scene, said that the suicidal man would be transported from the bridge directly to Lowell General Hospital for evaluation.