A California Highway Patrol officer prevented an apparent suicide attempt Thursday at Highway 101 and Milpas Street in Santa Barbara.

Officer Dan Ralph was patrolling southbound Highway 101 when he saw a man walking along the guardrail directly over the Milpas Street undercrossing, heel to toe with his arms stretched out shoulder height for balance, according to CHP public information officer James Richards.

Richards said the officer stopped and contacted the man, whose wrists were cut and bleeding from an apparent suicide attempt.

The officer talked the man off the guardrail and took possession of the razor he apparently had used to cut his wrists, according to Richards. He said the man was temporarily detained in handcuffs, until Santa Barbara police could respond.

Richards said Santa Barbara officers recognized the man as someone sought in connection with previous suicidal threats.

The man was identified as Richard Eugene Schultz of Oxnard. Schultz was released to American Medical Response and transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for treatment.

— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached at mnelson@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.