DOVER-FOXCROFT – Officials stopped short of calling it a suicide attempt, but a 37-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital late Friday night after she apparently used her own shoelaces to strangle herself while awaiting processing at the Piscataquis County Jail.

The woman, whom Sheriff’s Department officials identified only as a resident of Brownville Junction, was taken by ambulance to Mayo Regional Hospital in Dover. She was treated and released back into sheriff’s custody Saturday morning.

The woman had been brought to the jail Friday at 11:15 p.m. by Piscataquis County deputies after being arrested for disorderly conduct, Dale Clukey, deputy chief sheriff, said..

The arresting officers, Clukey said, had indicated the woman “was extremely intoxicated and uncooperative.” She was placed alone in a holding cell to await processing on the charges while sheriff’s personnel processed a separate OUI arrest.

The holding cell and processing area are in the same room and within sight of each other, Clukey said.

Minutes later, Clukey said, when officers went to get the woman for booking and processing, they saw her fall to the floor of her cell. She had, he said, removed the laces from her shoes, knotted them together, tied them around her neck and pulled with one hand until she passed out.

By the time the ambulance arrived she had regained consciousness, Clukey said, and was treated at Mayo Regional where she also underwent a psychiatric evaluation.

“Our staff did an excellent job in this situation,” Clukey said. “They did everything they were supposed to do.”

Because the woman was taken to the hospital before she was booked on the disorderly conduct charge, Clukey said his officers were not able to administer a blood alcohol test, and results from any test taken at the hospital were not available Sunday.

She was returned to the jail Saturday morning where sheriff’s personnel kept her under observation.

By 3:30 p.m. Saturday the woman had posted a $100 bail and had been released, Clukey said. The incident remains under investigation.