The man told the officers he had a 2-year-old son, and had suffered from mental illness his whole life, and, according to Fazio "he's had a rough patch of things lately at work, and he just felt that this was his answer."

Added Reed, "He said that he lost his job, he couldn't provide for his kid. He said he felt like a failure because he wasn't able to provide for his family."

The officers said they tried to talk about his son, and about how his life was still worth living, and that gave them enough time to look for the opening when it arose.

"The three of us, we were able to grab him, control him, we were able to hook him onto a rescue harness. We were able to bring him back over the side," Loughery said.

Afterward, Fazio recalled, the man "started asking us if we were safe. He said, " 'OK, OK, I just want to make sure you guys are safe.' "

Monday marked the second time in two months members of ESU Truck 5 rescued a would-be jumper from the edge of the bridge. On Sept. 24, an ESU team member convinced a 62-year-old Brooklyn man to come back from the edge.

Also, on July 23, 2012, an NYPD and a Bridge and Tunnel Authority officer spent four hours talking in Cantonese to rescue a man who climbed to the edge.

The bridge has been the scene of at least eight suicides and, not counting Monday's rescue, a half dozen attempts since December 2011, according to Advance records.

"These people need help. I don't know why they choose this act and carry it out on the bridge," Loughery said. "We're gonna do our best to get there in time and hopefully through negotiation to get them back in. Sometimes, like I said, it's our call if we can't get through to them, we're gonna have to take quick action, meaning grabbing somebody."

The ESU officers were assisted on Monday by Det. Paul Mellone, Det. George Bonner and Sgt. Gene Javaruski, also of ESU Truck 5, and Detectives Eric Bembenek, Madelyn McTague and Peter Whalen of ESU Truck 6. The ESU officers also credited Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority police for their work securing the bridge during the negotiations and rescue.

One lane on the Brooklyn-bound side of the bridge was closed shortly after 10 a.m. All lanes were re-opened by 11:40 a.m., according to an MTA spokeswoman.

As the rescue unfolded, several NYPD Harbor Unit vessels were positioned below the bridge. An emergency helicopter could be seen flying alongside the Verrazano.

At Fort Wadsworth, several firefighters watched the scene from a closed road beneath the bridge.

A jogger making her rounds through the park and military base said she was praying for the man.

Several Fort Wadsworth visitors were unaware of the ongoing situation, and when one woman was approached about whether she was watching the scene unfold, she immediately responded, "Again?!"

--- Advance staffer Mark Stein contributed to this report.