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2015 jump events

updated: 11.20.20
have any factual news, updates, or additions?
(our comments follow)
.
12.14.15: jumper, female, lived
unknown, 38
12.18.15, tampabay.com, By Claire McNeill
ST. PETERSBURG - The minute the alert came in, the checklist took shape in Jordan Kuperberg's mind.
Get in the water. Tell the crew to get ready to pull the woman out of the bay. Swim to her. Keep her head above water. Get back on board. Get back to land.
She steadied her mind, focusing on each step in turn. She pushed away her astonishment: This was the first time she'd responded to a Sunshine Skyway bridge jumper and found the person alive.
On Monday afternoon, a 38-year-old woman from Tampa leaped from the southbound side of the bridge. About 30 minutes later, Kuperberg was keeping her afloat as the Eckerd College search and rescue team coordinated a rescue.
"In the moment, you have to learn how to compartmentalize and focus on one thing and at the same time not get tunnel vision," Kuperberg said. "It's kind of a tightrope that you walk."
Kuperberg, 23, grew up around water in Maryland, a competitive swimmer and lifeguard. On a tour of Eckerd College, a student introduced her to the search and rescue program.
When she graduated in 2014, it was with four years of search and rescue experience under her belt. In October 2014, she became a staff instructor.
Her first big test as a leader on the squad came on the January night when police say 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck was dropped from the Dick Misener Bridge north of the Skyway by her father.
As coordinator, Kuperberg called the shots during the search for Phoebe: where to go, who's involved, what comes next.
"Pretty surreal," she said. "That happening in January was like, 'Oh my goodness.' It was the first actual high-stress situation where I was pushed out of the nest to see if I could fly on my own."
What she learned in her training, she said, was how to take things step by step, how to keep an uncluttered mind.
"It's all about staying calm and maintaining your composure," she said. "If you're freaking out, your boat is not going to do well."
On Monday, Kuperberg's pager pinged at 1:15 p.m., alerting the team to a water rescue in the area. Another staffer took the reins as coordinator while Kuperberg boarded the boat along with three students. At 1:22 p.m., they were under way, with Kuperberg as first mate and first responder.
Kuperberg has worked suicides before, but it's not a number she likes to tally. She had never seen anyone survive that long fall.
As the boat neared the bridge's center span about 20 minutes later, though, she saw a man holding a woman's head above water near the bridge's pilings.
Close by, another man waited with two water scooters.
Kuperberg put on a rescue vest and harness attached to a floating line and swam about 15 feet to the woman. She had a quick conversation with the man:
"Okay, do you have her?" he asked.
"Yes, I have her supported," she said, floating the woman on her life vest and signaling the boat to reel them in. She tried to calm the woman, who was speaking and in obvious pain.
That pain demanded a different method of lifting her onboard besides the usual backboard. The team slipped a sheet under her and lifted her up.
The whole transaction took one minute. The Eckerd team then sped to O'Neill's Marina in St. Petersburg, arriving at 1:57 p.m. The woman was taken away in an ambulance.
"I was surprised, but obviously, it's a very rewarding situation when you're able to get on scene and find the patient alert, and you're really able to help them out," Kuperberg said.
The Skyway, where a jumper can hit the water at about 75 mph in just 3.5 seconds, sees an average of eight deaths from its edge per year. That statistic makes it the deadliest so-called "suicide bridge" east of the Mississippi River.
But some do survive. In 2009, the Times reported that more than 130 people had died jumping from the bridge since it reopened in 1987. About a dozen who made the nearly 200 foot drop had survived.
Sgt. Steve Gaskins of the Florida Highway Patrol said he does not release the names of jumpers. He said the woman was in serious condition Monday afternoon and was being treated.
Kuperberg said the day was a reminder of why she is grateful for the rescue program.
"We were happy that we were able to help somebody out and that she survived," Eckerd College spokesman Tom Scherberger said. "It's a pretty rare event for someone to survive."
After the adrenaline rush of the rescue, Kuperberg said, the mood among the team was elation. The operation was smooth, even textbook, as one supervisor put it.
Just like she was trained.

any more info is welcome. 
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12.12.15: save, 1:57pm, female
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
12.12.15, shepdog of skyway lane, St. Pete, FL., (1:57pm, female, was stopped from jumping), Pinellas County dispatched Station 11, Marine Patrol, Sunsatar and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. At 2:10 engine 11 reported a female was straddling the barrier at the top of the bridge talking to a trooper. At 2:23, Engine 11 reported that they were with patient and Fire Boat 11 and Rescue 11 were going back in service.

12.12.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: All northbound lanes closed at this time as law enforcement and fire crews speak with a subject atop the bridge.
Update 2:25PM: Skyway: Subject has been removed from the ledge and situation under control

12.12.15, Troy B., Springfield, MO, (2:25pm, male), I hadn't checked this site in a while, cameras showed traffic backed up and a man on the ledge with officers trying to talk to him. Crazy just to see it on the screen, cant imagine what must be going through the mind of the jumper and the people trying to help.
 skyway bridge  skyway bridge

12.12.15, Erica H., facebook, Northbound traffic is a nightmare. Troopers looking over the bridge, someone will not be making their next Mustang payment.
 skyway bridge

12.12.15, Troy B., More pics
 skyway bridge    skyway bridge
 skyway bridge    skyway bridge

12.12.15, Matthew M., cape coral, Florida, (1:57pm, was stopped from jumping), We were headed back from J&R bike store and crossing the skyway and we see this person straddling the wall and cops surrounding him/her and she/he then stepped one foot off dangling and the other still on the wall and bawling then the unexpected happened the cop went and grabbed her and comforted her then she came back over and then we went home.

12.27.15, Vickie C., clearwater, (12/12/15), I saw a person, possibly a woman, rounding a red car to the edge of the bridge and lean over looking down (northbound) and I am so terrified of the bridge I can barely drive over it much less stop. It did not occur to me she was a possible jumper - I kinda thought she was looking at something below in the water. Then recently when I talked to friends who left Ellenton an hour after me and I learned the police were there (and the red car) when they crossed and now i'm here hoping she didn't jump. (well hope no more, she was safely taken off the bridge.)

any more info is welcome.
12.12.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUSPICIOUS PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 1404, 1436, 0h32m
12.12.15, Mike K., Bradenton, I was stuck in traffic waiting on jumper to be talked down.

12.13.15, caeilleigh, texas, why would anyone do that? its so sad that people wanna kill them selfs and not think about all the other people that love them.

12.13.15, Brit Y., St. Pete, Fl., My husband and I were going south on the bridge and saw the woman on the other side of the barrier (pictured on this site). It was horrific to see and I am relieved to learn that she was able to be stopped. Thank you to the law enforcement and others involved in saving her life. I hope that she is able to get the help she needs. Prayers are with her and her family.

12.15.15, Jason C., St. Pete, FL., We were headed back to St. Pete from Fort Myers. I was distracted on the phone, but saw the individual pacing back and forth around the back on their vehicle. Nobody had shown up, it was her with her Mustang and flashers on. I have always said if I came across someone up there, and nobody there yet, I would stop. But I was on the damn phone and in the wrong lane. This weighs heavy on me, but it's good that she was stopped. (there is no doubt we too would stop. it's perplexing more do not. we suppose getting across the bridge is more important than perhaps talking someone out of their terrible choice. luckily, she did not jump.)
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11.23.15: possible jumper
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
11.23.15, anon, possible jumper empty car, two police officers at top north bound approximately 10:00 pm

any more info is welcome.
11.23.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUSPICIOUS PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 2213, 2217, 0h4m
.
11.18.15: possible jumper
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
11.18.15, Jane Doe, tampa,
 skyway bridge  skyway bridge
 skyway bridge  skyway bridge
 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
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11.08.15: possible jumper, 6:45pm
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
11.09.15, Anna, Saint Petersburg, (11.08.15, 6:45pm), I was driving across the Skyway last night headed towards St. Pete, and there was one car parked super close, and it looked like a person going to get out of it. We drove by too fast to see anything else but my stomach dropped wondering if it was another jumper.

any more info is welcome. 
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11.03.15: possible jumper, 6:57pm
unknown
11.03.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 1857, 1946, 0h49m
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11.02.15: possible jumper
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
11.02.15, anon, Don’t know the details of this event. Center span middle of the day, took a while for status to change to "with patient". pinellascounty.org, grid 723s medical, R11, D5, PD4, 360 (acronyms)
 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
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11.01.15: something? nothing?
unknown
11.01.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MENTALLY ILL PERSON / VIOLENT, SKYWAY BG, 0031, 0111, 0h40m
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10.21.15: disabled vehicle, 5:20pm
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
10.21.15, Renee P., Bradenton, (male), I was driving home from work heading south to Bradenton around 5:20 pm when I saw a white male about mid-30 early 40s maybe. He is about 6 foot tall, light brown hair, wearing a very light green shirt and khaki pants I think. He was standing at the back of his car looking over the rail when all of a sudden he stepped over the rail. I did not see him anymore. I could not see if he actually jumped. I immediately called 9-1-1. I was not able to slow down. I pray it was just a false alarm. I am a nervous wreck not knowing if he is okay.

10.21.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Disabled vehicle. No jumper. This in response to previous poster that called 911 about 5:30pm

any more info is welcome. 
.
10.19.15: jumper, 8:46am, female, died, body found
Tammi Jones Christopherson, 43
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
10.19.15, Erica H., facebook, Empty Toyota top of the north bound lanes. Trooper hauling ass. No one in sight.

10.19.15, anon, (female), Active jumper at 8:50AM, St Pete FD and the whole crew responding. Multiple reports of female jumper

10.19.15, shepdog of skyway lane, St Pete, FL., (8:47am), Pinellas County dispatched Engine 3, Fire Boat 11, Eckert College SAR, Marine Patrol, the Coasties, Sunsatar and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper. later: 9:33am - FB11 advises they have a visual on the jumper in the water. 9:35am - FB11 recovered body and heading back to O'Neill's

10.19.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Multiple reports of a female that jumped off the bridge in the northbound lanes. Marine units now responding to the area. Update 9:35: Body recovered

 Tammi Christopherson

 Tammi Christopherson

10.21.15, Roger G., New Jersey, (10.19.15, 8:46am, female, died, body found), On this very windy Monday I was heading from my Sarasota hotel to Tampa airport in the right lane on the bridge as I saw the pulled-over car. I saw a woman balanced between the barrier and her car, with one foot on the barrier and the other on the passenger door sill near the passenger window. The heavy wind was pushing her back toward the car. As I passed, in disbelieve, I look in the rear view mirror and see she gained balance on the barrier and then I see her jump -- arms wide, feet spread. I looked at my watch and it was 8:46AM. Unlike what you see in the movies, there was no hesitancy, no last minute thinking. She was very determined (fighting the wind).

any more info is welcome. 
10.19.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, DECEASED PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 0858, 1324, 4h26m
 Tammi Christopherson Tammi Jones Christopherson

facebook

obituary
10.19.15, Jax M., facebook, This post is dedicated to the lady who jumped off the bridge today...along with all the other jumpers whose vehicles I have had to drive by at the top of the bridge....I hope you found the peace you were looking for.....but suicide effects everyone....even the strangers driving to work....who have to see people looking over the bridge for you and having to see your abandoned vehicle 😭

10.21.15, Patricia, Mexico City, MEXICO, Thank you Jax M... you found and say the right words...

03.31.16, Lisa M., Tampa, FL, (regarding 10.19.15, female, died), My sister jumped off this bridge last year. If the people in charge can do anything useful with this website it would be to get support and funding for a fence, or barrier to prevent people from jumping in the first place. Why did my sister drive nearly an hour away to jump off this bridge? Maybe because there isn't a suicide barrier? It is disgusting to think that Florida thinks this bridge is too beautiful architecturally to add a fence to save real human lives. I drive by very small bridges everyday that have the big fence around the bridge and even the sides going into the land surrounding the bridge. This is to save lives on a very small chance someone jumps from a small bridge. Why in the world is there not a suicide barrier on this enormous bridge. If a person is suicidal and sees how easy it would be to jump off of this bridge why wouldn't they. There is nothing, but a small concrete ledge stopping them. There is an apparently obvious problem with suicide jumpers from this bridge. Why doesn't anyone care about solving the problem with a suicide barrier/fence? Suicidal thoughts come and go. If you give people with suicidal thoughts an open invitation like this very tall bridge without suicide barriers what do you think they will do? These people are successful, ambitious, generous, cheerful, kind, thoughtful, loving, selfless, sacrificing, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, grandfathers, friends, cousins, co-workers, relatives, associates. These people more than likely have a "mental illness" whether, or not they are on medication. Sometimes these people may have been on medications that set them off into suicidal thoughts. Mental illness does not mean a person is weak. My sister was a very strong person. I know that switching medicines along with environmental issues caused her to do this. Maybe she had been thinking about it for a longer than anyone realized. I hope people who have lost family and friends to suicide realize that these people loved you very much and never wanted to hurt you. This was a feeling that they had that was so intense they couldn't help but follow through with it. These people were not thinking rationally. They did think this was the best option for them at the time even though it was not true. As a sibling survivor and a child survivor of suicide I will tell everyone thinking about suicide that it is not the best way. Please reach out for help to EVERYONE! If you reach out to someone and they don't respond properly, PLEASE REACH OUT TO SOMEONE ELSE! PLEASE call 911, or take yourself to the hospital! Please don't be afraid of the consequences of disclosing how you truly feel! In the end the only thing that matters is your well-being! It doesn't matter if you have to tell your children, or someone else you feel will be hurt in the process. The only thing that matters if your life and saving it! Your family, and children, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, cousins, relatives, friends, co-workers, acquaintences, etc., all care about you! Please do not kill yourself thinking everyone will be better off without you! You have family and friends who love and care about you! Please get help and let your family and friends help you! You may not believe that you are worthy of love and support, but that is just your messed up mind/mental illness, or medication playing tricks on you. I can tell you as a sibling survivor, and child survivor of suicide, NOBODY! WANTS YOU TO DIE,OR WILL BE BETTER OFF WITHOUT YOU! Please realize it is just your depression talking. Please have enough strength to get help! There are many people who love you and can't live without you! You are a good person and worthy of living! Please fight off your suicidal feelings long enough to get help. Suicide is not the answer! There are people who are there to help you even if you think there aren't. You are very worthy of this life! We all make mistakes and fail. This does not mean you are worthless and can't go on. There are many people who love you and need you more than words can say! Please speak up, and be honest with the people closest to you. I know it is very hard, but it may be the only way you can truly get help. Please realize that the VERY PERMANENT decision to die by suicide can be prevented. Nobody wants you to die! You are very worthy of living on this planet and this life and living until natural causes kill you. It is all in your mind that this is the best option! Please believe me that this is not the best option at all! You are a great person! You deserve to continue on in this life just like anyone else! You are very much needed by your family and friends, whom you may not realize how much they truly need you! If you have children please realize they will need you forever, even if you aren't in their lives 24/7. A child needs their parent alive no matter what the circumstances are. You may think things are worse than they really are. Children don't care about what you've done or who you are. Children want their parents alive! Children want their parents in their lives! Even if you can't be in your child's life as much as you want before they are 18 please realize there are sooo many more years left after 18 to be in their lives. It may be hard to see at the current moment, but please realize NO! child/ daughter, or son wants to live without their mother, or father! You are such an important part in your children's lives. No one is able to fill your shoes! You are a good person no matter what you are thinking at this specific point in time! Please get help! I miss my sister more than anything! If I could join her I would, but I can't right now. She was such a strong, courageous, generous, loving person. If my sister thought this was the best solution at the time, and was sooo wrong, you are VERY wrong too! You have every right to live as the next person! My sister was more worthy of living than me, or anyone else I know! YOU ARE VERY OWRTHY OF LIFE!! Please do not die by suicide! This is not the answer to your problems! There are people who love and care about you! There are people who can save YOU! Please call 911 or Suicide hotline 1-800-273-8255. Please realize when you are feeling so weak, you are really the bravest, strongest person out there! You are dealing with suicidal thoughts and depression, but you are going to pull through! Please realize your family and friends love you sooo much more than you realize. Depression often makes things seem worse than they are. Human beings and especially loved family and friends do not want anything bad to happen to you. PLEASE!  PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!, PLEASE!!! Don't die by suicide!! There are people who love and care about you! You know you don't truly want to die! Please get help! I love you because I know how you feel! I know how your family feels because I miss my sister more than anyone will ever know or realize. I know how your children feel because I also lost a father to suicide. There is ABSOLUTELY NO replacement for a PARENT! I do not care how bad of a parent you think you were. There is NO REPLACEMENT for a PARENT!! I understand in a lot of situations it may be very hard and seem like a long time to wait until a child turns 18, but really it's not!! That child is always going to want and need their parent!! Yes, you may have f'd up! Everyone does! Your mentally ill mind is making you think it's worse than others. Your children don't care if you f'd up! Your children just want you in their lives! Your children love you because you are their parents! Your children believe you are worthy of living and want you in their lives! More than anything it is your children who want you in their lives and need you more than anything!! Life is full of mistakes, and heartache. Often times it can seem like the best solution is to end it. Please realize that this is very irrational thoughts coming from mental illness! There are many people who love and care about you! Nobody wants to have a loved one die by suicide! You very much are a loved one! I am very sorry if you feel as if suicide is the only answer at the moment! I can tell you 200+% that you are very wrong! Please do not end your life! You are on this earth because you are very important! There are very many people who care about you! I know it may not seem like it at the time, but it may be your medication, or mental illness. Please stay strong and get help!! In my own circumstances the feeling will pass. Please hold out and get help! Please recognize it is your mental illness and not reality that thinks suicide is the answer. I miss my sister everyday! I am sure her children miss her more! It is going to be very hard to be a family without my sister. I understand to the extent of what it feels like to be suicidal, but it's hard to comprehend someone you loved and needed soooooooooo badly not being there anymore. This whole situation seems so fake to me. My sister who was so much to me shouldn't be gone. Please realize your family and friends are there for you!!! Most human beings DON'T want someone to die, ESPECIALLY if it is their family member! There are very close ties with our family members that we truly don't realize, or appreciate understand until they are gone. PLEASE REALIZE YOU ARE LOVED! later:
03.31.16, Lisa M., Tampa, FL, Seriously!! My sister died by suicide by jumping off this bridge! There should be a fence on the bridge! Why don't you use your website for something helpful like funding for a bridge to prevent impulsive suicides! Please help prevent further suicides by fundraising for a fence/suicide barrier! It is true suicidal people don't truly want to die! These people see it as the best option in their distorted mindset. These feelings come and go, as I have personally had them. I want these suicidal people to know that they have family and friends who love and care about them! I know it may be hard to reach out and be honest with them about your suicidal feelings, but please do just that! You are loved and cherished more than you can imagine! Life without you will be very hard for the loved ones you may leave behind. Your children need you here now and in the future! Especially if you have children please realize how much they need you as a mother or father! You are stronger than you realize! You are probably stronger than most people you know. Please speak up and get help! No one wants you to die or die by suicide! There are very many people who love and need you! You are hurting more people than you realize by dying by suicide. Please speak out and reach out until you get the help you need! I know not everyone gives the they should. Please don't stop seeking help! You will get it if you keep trying! There are many people who love and support you! Please don't give up! Please call 911 or Lifeline at 1-800-273-talk (1-800-273- 8255). There are people who love and care about you. This is not the way to end your life! You are worth so much more than you realize! (first and foremost, we are deeply saddened by your loss. your words paint a picture of pain and anguish that will never truly go away. your desire to see no one else go through what you and those close to your sister are going though, is admirable. we have been advocating that something be done to stop, or at least, stem the frequency of skyway suicides, for well over a decade now. we have advocated the testing and implementation of the ESR device to a government with deaf ears and no true willingness to do something about it. while your idea of fundraising is a worthy ponder, kicking a lackluster government in the proverbial ass to get something done, would be a far better move. this website is generally ignored by the very people that should use it to their advantage. we suppose we are far too politically incorrect to bother with. perhaps you could start such a fund by seeking out other skyway suicide affected family members to make the push. that would more than likely go further than we could ever go. we would gladly promote your efforts here. we wish you well and good luck.)
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10.15.15: possible jumper, 12:33pm, male
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
10.15.15, john b., bradenton, fl., (12:00am, male, hit water, died), it was just my bi-daily drive across the bridge, saw someone, couldnt be more then 15-16, take a leap. I regret it but i kept driving, can only imagine he has died and he hit water because not many boats were under at the time. he was young i could tell in the short time i passed, i slowed down a bit but not much, he was short with short brown hair, blue hoodie jeans. thats about all i saw then he took a jump.

any more info is welcome. 
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10.09.15: jumper, 11:18am, male, lived
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
10.09.15, Richard H., St. Petersburg, (11:27am), On my way to work in Palmetto this afternoon (Southbound), I saw it again! This time the jumper jumped just a few minutes before my arrival. Again, I was unable to get my camera out in time but I have the webcam still shots to follow this post. The jumper jumped sometime between 11:25 & 11:28am. I saw EMS pouring into O'Neill's Marina on my way to the toll booth and wondered "did sometime possibly jump?". On my way up to the hump if only see one or two cars every few seconds heading northbound down, and thought "sure enough LEOs have traffic choked down to one lane". However, a flood of cars soon came down in both lanes as I began to approach the bottom of the hump. Then I thought, "I must have been mistaken". I was shocked to see the FHP, a Road Ranger and empty Forest Green Jeep Patriot (in that order) on my side Northbound. The Officer and the Ranger were the only persons present, and the Patriot was empty. I immediately went to this website to check the tower webcams, and at the 11:25am timestamp shot all camera's showed vacant breakdown lanes. My attached screenshots and commentary to follow show more of the story. later:
10.09.15, Richard H., St. Petersburg, I forgot to mention in the first post that I noticed an FHP cruiser with overhead red and blue lights blaring as it came down the northbound hump, as I was on my way up the southbound. Be that as it may, in the first time stamped pic we see what I saw described in the prior post. The second picture shows the tow truck hooking the empty Jeep for removal. The third picture shows the tow truck again, but also a county LEO on the scene too. Interestingly it appears that traffic choking and intensified investigative personnel involvement seemed to never happen [at least not from atop the bridge] (perhaps to reduce contagion, or do to lack of resources). Nevertheless, a sad day for all involved I'm sure.
 skyway bridge

10.09.15, Chris N.,
 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
10.09.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, ASSIST OTHER AGENCY, SKYWAY BG, 1118, 1255, 1h37m
10.09.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MISSING PERSONS - ADULT ENDANGERED, SKYWAY BG, 1238, 1432, 1h54m
10.09.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Reports of a male that jumped from the bridge. Boater below trying to get the conscious man on vessel.
update: Crews from St Pete Fire and Sunstar waiting for patient arrival. Civilian boat bringing the patient to the marina.
update: Man being rushed to Bayfront Health St Petersburg. facebook comments follow:
• Shawn M., Poor civilian boater just out for a day of fishing now has to deal with this forever lasting memory.
• Melissa O., The issue is not the bridge, it is mental health. Maybe we should discuss that instead and how to help there.
• Barbii C., So sad that some feel this is the only resource left for them. We need better Mental Health but even more so people need to feel it's ok to admit they need the help. Holidays are coming it's only going to get worse sadly.

10.09.15, tbo.com,  Man rescued from bay after Skyway jump, St. Pete Fire and Rescue says.
A man who jumped Friday morning from the Sunshine Skyway was pulled from Tampa Bay by passers-by and transported to a hospital with injuries, St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue said.
The man, who was in his 40s, was taken to O’Neil’s Marina at the north end of the bridge, the agency said.
Emergency units responded about 11:10 a.m., and personnel from Fire Boat 11 evaluated the man before he was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, the agency said.
The Skyway carries Interstate 75 traffic across the bay between Pinellas and Manatee counties. The main span is about 180 feet above the water’s surface.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office will conduct a follow-up investigation. (thanks, Chris, Tampa)

10.09.15, tampabay.com, Man hospitalized after jumping from Sunshine Skyway.
A man jumped off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Friday morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
A boater rescued the man, who is in his mid-40s, from the water and took him to O'Neill's Marina in St. Petersburg. The man has not been identified.
He was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg on trauma alert. The Sheriff's Office is investigating.
No further information was immediately available. Check tampabay.com for updates.
open request to this person: care to tell your story?
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10.06.15: save
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
10.06.15, Richard H., St. Petersburg, (12:00pm, male, was stopped from jumping), Heading northbound in the Skyway home from work in the morning in Sarasota FHP were cuffing what appeared to be a Hispanic man in his mid 30's at the very top of the bridge. There were three FHP cruisers and a flatbed wrecker loading the man's newer silver Ford Mustang convertible with a black rag top on to the wrecker and placing the man into the back of one of the cruisers. I did not have a chance to unlock my phone and take a picture.

10.07.15, Richard H., St. Petersburg, Although I did not have time to take a pic, your website's still shots probably did. I only thought to look several minutes later, and was able to get a screenshot of the remaining cruisers (I believe it was the middle one I saw the man being placed in). I've attached a photo in case you don't keep the still shots. (we do not save an accumulation of screenshots. unless we save them ourselves or people send them in, they are lost. thanks for snagging these.)  skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
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09.29.15: save, 3:38pm, female
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
09.29.15, Shepdog of Skyway Lane, St Pete., (15:36, female, was stopped from jumping), Pinellas County dispatched Station 11, Fire Boat 11, Eckert College SAR, The Coasties, Sunsatar and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper. Dispatch reports a woman in custody by the FHP as of 3:47pm. Rescue 11 to transport to St Anthony's from the Baker Act invoked by the trooper. (we were coming back from sarasota and saw the activity on the southbound side. ended up following 'rescue 11' heading north.)

09.29.15,

jumpy video courtesy of empty u-haul box truck.


09.29.15, Snifley, St. Petersburg, Fl., (3:15pm), The Florida Highway Patrol was still searching with binoculars and a rescue boat for the body.

09.29.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: FHP Trooper speaking with an individual atop the bridge. Watch for activity and slowdowns. Update: Skyway: Situation now under control atop the bridge. Watch for emergency vehicles stopped in the roadway.

 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
09.29.15, wtsp.com, Trooper stops woman from Skyway jump.
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper crossed lanes of traffic and stopped a woman from leaping from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Tuesday afternoon.
About 3:38 p.m., Cpl. Jim Covert was northbound on the Skyway when he saw a woman looking off the bridge near a blue Chrysler parked on the southbound shoulder near the top of the span.
Covert stopped, crossed all north and southbound lanes of traffic before approaching her and securing the woman before she could attempt to jump.
The 35-year-old female was later transported under Florida’s Baker Act provisions.
Covert, a 20-year FHP veteran, is assigned to Troop C – Land O Lakes.
   skyway bridge
.
09.27.15: jumper, 1:07am, died
unknown
10.13.15, reliable anon, Hey, I was busy that day and did not email. The possible on 9.27.15 was a jumper who was DOA. I have no documentation or screenshots to back up my statement but I recall vividly the EMS dispatch screen and the video feed.
09.27.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 0107, 0506, 3h59m
.
09.23.15: jumper, male, 6:55am, died, body missing
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
09.18.15, anon, pinellascounty.org/911, GRID 723S MEDICAL, R11, D5, LR1, PD3, 381, FB11, USGC, ECSR (acronyms)

09.23.15, twitter, @Southshore26, @skywayjumpers Another empty car this morning with LEO's looking over the side of the bridge... :( Happening to often these days

09.23.15, Mark, Bradenton, (6:30am), Toyota corolla parked at top of bridge, no one but cops and emergency personnel, looks like a jumper

09.23.15, Kim B., Clearwater, Fl., Jumper at 7am this morning per highway patrol active calls.

09.23.15, Shepdog of Skyway Lane, St Pete, FL., (6:55am), Pinellas County dispatched Station 11, Fire Boat 11, Eckert College SAR, The Coasties, Sunsatar and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper.

09.23.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: FHP still atop the northbound lanes of the bridge investigating reports of a jumper. Traffic slowdowns remain northbound. Update: Crews continue the search in the waters below. Update 8:40AM: Skyway: St. Pete Fire Rescue concludes search after almost 2 hrs. USCG and EC-SAR continue the search for man who jumped off bridge at 6:55AM.

09.23.15, Debi J., Cortez, FL. (6:50am), Possible Jumper: Southbound @6:50a

09.23.15, BC, Sarasota, Police on the bridge, chopper. and boats in the water during my NB am commute today. Multiple leo's looking over the side of the bridge as well. Looked to be an abondoned black sedan car at the near the top, not quite at the hump.

09.23.15, Ts, Clw., (6:55am), Pinellas sheriff page

09.23.15, n.m., Ruskin, (7:20am), Drove by around 7:20 am on 9/23/2015 and several police were on top of bridge looking in water with binoculars. There was a police helicopter in the air circling the bridge, there were 3 coast guard cutters in my view in the water circling. I was travelling NB toward St. Petersburg. I have pictures and video.

09.23.15, Clovis, (8:30am), I was stuck in traffic for 20 minutes on the North side of the Skyway this morning due to police activity. When I was at the top of the bridge, there was a small black vehicle on the side. The helicopter had left and police appeared to be shutting things down. I believe they must have talked the person down because nobody was looking over the side. I did take a few pictures but never saw the actual jumper. Attached are pictures from this morning on the Skyway.
 skyway bridge


09.23.15, Ryan N., facebook,
 skyway bridge

09.23.15, Kevin T., facebook,
 skyway bridge

 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
09.23.15, flhsmv.gov, Suicide 06:55 AM 07:01 AM PINELLAS SKYWAY BRIDGE NB [7 BRIDGE SKYWAY NB X2[SR-55]] x[SR-55] [SAINT PETERSBURG] NORTHBOUND OUTSIDE LANE PARTIALLY BLOCKED AS OF 07:10

09.23.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MISSING PERSONS - ADULT ENDANGERED, SKYWAY BG, 0701, 1405, 7h4m
09.23.15, bradenton.com, Sunshine Skyway partially blocked after jumper commits suicide., By KATE IRBY, PINELLAS -- An individual committed suicide by jumping off the Sunshine Skyway Wednesday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The suicide occurred at 6:55 a.m. near the high point of the bridge, troopers said.
The northbound outside lane of the Sunshine Skyway is partially blocked.
No additional information was immediately available.

09.23.15, tbo.com, FHP: Northbound Sunshine Skyway reopened to traffic,
Officials asy northbound Interstate 275 traffic on the Sunshine Skyway is moving after a long backup triggered by the investigation of a possible suicide attempt.
The Florida Highway Patrol says it received a call about a possible suicide just before 7 a.m. Wednesday. No details on the investigation were available.
About 8:30 a.m., the Florida Department of Transportation tweeted that traffic on the bridge was backed up into Palmetto due to "police activity."
The highway patrol said the road was reopened at 9:31 a.m.
Stay with TBO.com for updates. (no details available? what updates? the crack team of investigative reporters gots nothing.)
09.23.15, Sherrie C., Bradenton, fl., As I was driving to work today, I heard on the radio that there was a backup on the Skyway Bridge because of activity on the hump. My heart sank as flashbacks of the night my son who suffered with major depression jumped to his death. That was 8 years ago. I want to bury my head and sob. Something I have done hundreds of times since I lost him. Although I have done counseling and support groups, my life has forever changed and not for the better. My heart is heavy with grief everyday of my life, still in disbelieve that he was capable to doing something so awful out of desperation. My heart hurts for him more than anything because that was the only way out from the demons in his head. Mental illness is such a serious condition because it carries a real possibility of suicide. Often I see comments about how "it must be that this person didn't receive the help he needed". That's the frightening thing. As with my son, he was on so many different medications and was under the care of a psychiatrist. And yet it didn't stop him. My sincere condolences to anyone who has lost someone to suicide. The truth is that you have to keep going on no matter how hard it is and try to make a new happiness for yourself. One step at a time. Remember, its even more tragic if grief takes you down with your loved one.

09.23.15, mike b., Bradenton, Fl., Madness just Madness more and more people are dying. Death toll continues......  

09.29.15, Alejandro V., facebook, hello, im sending this from mexico city, searching for help, i´m relative of the person who seems jumped off the bridge on september 23rd, and looking for answers, i just want to know if there is a confirmation. visual, recorded, or something. if my uncle really jumped, the body wasn´t found, or if i can call to the sheriff´s office and ask, the family in mexico just know nothing, another uncle is going to be there, i think this friday, i just want to know if he really jumped, please any info you can provide me, i really will apreciate it, thank you a lot. (we are truly sorry for your loss. we post everything we have available to us. we believe if you contact the hillsborough county sheriff's office, you may be able to find out more information than we offer on the website. we wish you well.)
.
09.18.15: jumper, male, 10:36am, hit water, died
Andrew J. Powell, 41
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
09.18.15, Shepdog of Skyway Lane, St Pete, FL., (10:36am, male, hit water), Pinellas County dispatched Station 11, Fire Boat 11, Eckert ,College SAR, FWC Marine, The Coasties, Sunsatar and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper. later: 10:50am - Witnesses reported to the District Chief that a male went off the center span from the northbound side. later: AT 11:04 FB11 recovered him and said he is dead. (acronyms)

09.18.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Watch for emergency vehicles as reports of a suicidal subject that jumped from the center span have been received. Northbound lanes
Update 11:03AM: Body recovery of male made by St Petersburg Fire Rescue's Fire Boat 11. Confirmed deceased.

09.18.15, ESP, St Pete, Active jumper from northbound skyway at 10:45AM on 9/18/15 (now)

09.18.15, anon, pinellascounty.org/911, GRID 723S MEDICAL, DV11, M11, FB11, E8, R11, D5, LR1, ECSR, PD3, USGC, FFWC, 353BA, T11, SP201, E11, MA13, TV1A, SB10A (acronyms)
flhsmv.gov, Incident Type: Suicide, Dispatched: 10:39AM, Arrived: 10:47AM, County: PINELLAS Location: SKYWAY BRIDGE SB [7 BRIDGE SKYWAY SB] [SAINT PETERSBURG], SOUTHBOUND INSIDE LANE BLOCKED AS OF 10:47

09.18.15, Jessica S., facebook
 Andrew J. Powell

09.20.15, Doctor Who, Tampa, FL., I watched someone leap off the northbound center span just as I was whizzing by on my way to work last Friday. Totally self absorbed, I happened to gaze to the right just as he jumped. The image of him climbing the short wall, squatting on the top of the thin wall for just a moment while balancing himself with his right hand on the ledge. A determined look downward as if he knew what to do.......and then he was gone. I had to ask myself if I was dreaming before I called it in. In a fraction of a second a life was lost and a picture was imprinted in my memory forever. A warning to all who think of this as a glorious or easy way to die. It's not. Stop before you get to the ledge - don't even go to the bridge. Seek help. (never having or wanting to witness a suicide, we can only imagine the surreal scene. in a flash, you go from the routine of driving to work, to seeing someone end their life, right before your eyes. it is indeed a horror show. we hope you cope. thank you for your story.)

any more info is welcome. 
09.18.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, DECEASED PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 1040, 1623, 5h43m
09.18.15, Sarah E., facebook, Today, as always, I left for work to take my beautiful drive over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge which is honestly a highlight of my day.
Little did I know that today, someone could no longer take what life was handing them and decided to end their life at the top of this beauty.
Over the last few months, I've experienced this 3 times. Each time, it touches my heart and makes me start to ask a lot of questions.
We are surrounded by people every day, yet most of us don't let anyone close enough to know who we truly are. We don't even take the time to actively listen when asking someone "how are you?"
There are so many people who are silently suffering with making it through each day. Why aren't we doing more about this instead of focusing our energy on the nonsense that overwhelms our society? Yet there's zero coverage about the life that was lost today and many others. (it's a well known fact that the media uses "the wheel of newsworthiness". they give it a spin and it usually lands on 'kardashians' or some other such social media nonsense, most likely delivered in the most politically correct manner possible. detailing reality tends to fall out of favor with the lame stream media.)
 Andrew J. Powell
.
09.12.15: save, male, 3:12pm
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
09.12.15, Bill E., Riverview, Fl., (3:12pm), Hcso sending units to possible jumper. Car on top center, talking, not jumped yet. Southbound side. later: Suspect in custody. All units going available. No mention if male or female.

09.12.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Man now standing on ledge of the Skyway Bridge. Emergency crews speaking him. 2nd similar issue of the day. Southbound lanes blocked. update: Subject was taken into custody. update: St. Petersburg Police Department pulled up on scene and began to have discussions with the suicidal subject. The discussions took a little while but the officer was able to get the subject off the ledge of the bridge. Great job to all including all other agencies involved including Eckerd College Search and Rescue, St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue, FHP, Sunstar, US Coast Guard and any others that may have been missed.
 
 skyway bridge
 
 skyway bridge
jumper traffic jam.
 skyway bridge
 
found on facebook.
 09.12.15, facebook, Just passed about 50 cops and emergency personnel trying to talk this young guy from committing suicide.
(did they roll out enough personnel and equipment? somewhat comically overdone. looking at this video, there appears to be enough room for at least another dozen or so 3rd-9th responders.~) 
 

any more info is welcome.
09.12.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MENTALLY ILL PERSON / NON VIOLENT, SKYWAY BG, 1508, 1751, 2h43m
09.12.15, wtsp.com, Officer's compassion keeps man from jumping off bridge.
Named the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, it can be a dark place for some. Outside of California, more suicides happen there than any other bridge.
This afternoon, a man was on the ledge between life and death. Standing near the peak, over 90 feet above Tampa Bay.
An off-duty St. Petersburg Police officer happened to be driving southbound over the bridge and called it in.
Officer Cedric Doss, a 25-year veteran of the force and member of the negotiation team for the past two years, was doing extra duty at Dell Holmes Park in South St. Petersburg. He immediately rushed to the bridge and was the first to arrive.
"Sometimes all they need is someone to listen to them," Doss said.
A step away from oblivion, FDOT traffic cameras showed the man standing on the concrete guard rail, holding onto a sign post. But it was Doss that really held him on the bridge.
"I always believed I was going to get him down," Doss said.
That confidence though not coming from experience. This was Doss' first one-on-one negotiation.
"Very satisfying to see him give us a chance to actually talk to him in and work out his problems," Doss said.
After about an hour, the man stepped back from the brink and onto the bridge. He was taken into custody for mental help.
"I really want to help folks who may not see another way," Doss said.
Which is why today, he was a bridge between life and death.
 skyway bridge
.
09.12.15: possible jumper, 12:33pm
unknown
09.12.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 1233, 1300, 0h27m
.
09.12.15: possible save, 5:02am
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
09.12.15, anon, facebook, At 5:02 AM male called and stated he was on bridge and was going to jump. Unconfirmed, he was in car with girlfriend and jumped out of moving car and was going to jump. He was not on the top. He was taken into custody.

any more info is welcome.
09.12.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUSPICIOUS PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 0514, 0523, 0h9m
.
09.08.15: what's going on here?
 skyway bridge

09.08.15, Chris, Tampa, FL., Not sure what kind of vehicle that is. A bus or RV? If the latter, probably just a tourist taking in the view. The cameras haven't refreshed since I noticed it. (the cameras do tend to freeze during bridge activities. no need allowing us to watch what's going on, right?~)

any more info is welcome.
.
09.06.15: possible jumper
unknown
09.06.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 0913, 1312, 3h59m

09.06.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MOTORIST ASSIST, SKYWAY BG, 1312, 1314, 0h2m
.
09.04.15: jumper, male, 9:23pm, hit water, died, body found next day
Charles Emery Keetley, 38
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
09.04.15, Erica H., facebook, 4 troopers and police boat. Also, ice cream truck.
 Charles Emery Keetley

09.04.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Watch for emergency vehicles atop northbound lanes. FHP Trooper reports subject into the water. Marine units responding.
09.06.15, Update Sunday 9:07AM: Recreational vessel with body and FD responding for body recovery.

09.04.15, Andrew M., Sarasota, FL., (10:00pm), At approximately 10:30 p.m. I was northbound on the Skyway when I observed multiple police cars in between the two towers also on the northbound side as well as multiple police boats in the water below the bridge. Upon arriving at the summit there were approximately half a dozen police cars of various agencies in a line in front of and behind a high top Ford E-series van decorated with large polka dots and emblazoned with the words "ICE CREAM". I wish I hadn't seen it.

09.05.15, Lord W., (09.04.15, 10:00pm, male, used crisis phones, hit water), My sister talked to him. She made the red phone ring. She works at the crisis hotline. It shook her up bad. He was from Bradenton not Sarasota. He left a wife and child behind. All because he didn't look hard enough for a job.

09.06.15, anon, (09.04.15, 9:23pm, male, died, body found), He was 38 years old, no longer married, no children. He was from Hillsborough County. He was a son, a brother and friend. They recovered him today 9/5. He was loved and is missed. Spoke to trooper on bridge. Please correct the info.

09.06.15, Dee, Bradenton, Florida, I was on the phone with my son who was south bound and said they had a jumper, lots of police cars and a ice cream truck. Police where shinning flashlights in water. Later heard the person died. Sad. A world with people in pain and crisis and no help.

09.07.15, Hiwie T., Wellington, New Zealand, Jumpers name was Charles Keetley, drove an ice cream truck, was trying to become a model.

any more info is welcome. 
09.04.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MISSING PERSONS - ADULT ENDANGERED, SKYWAY BG, 2144, 0611, 8h27m
 Charles Emery Keetley  Charles Emery Keetley  Charles Emery Keetley
images from mr. keetley's public facebook, with quite an outpouring of input.

donordrive.com, Charles Keetley Memorial Fund
 
more: youtube.com

mydeathspace.com
09.08.15, Mike B., Bradenton, FL., And it continues. More lives lost. Nothing being done to prevent this.

09.12.15, Anne, Largo, Wondering if he was any relation to Michael Keetley. Michael shot 6 people, killing 2 on Thanksgiving 2010. Looks like he was looking for revenge for his ice cream truck being robbed earlier that year. Strange, another Keetley and another ice cream truck. (we did spot several articles about michael's ice cream truck revenge murder incident. however, there does not appear to be any connection.)
.
08.19.15: possible jumper, male, 05:10am
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
08.19.15, Debi J., Pinellas, Jumper Search, South bound at the top of the Skyway @ 5:10a.

08.19.15, Angela, Bradenton, FL., Police activity on bridge, I am not sure if there was a jumper, but at 6:00am, numerous state troopers were on the NB hump. They were all looking over the edge, and there was a rescue or police boat in the water as well as a helicopter approaching.

08.19.15, Rye G. G., facebook, Possible jumper. Police activity in water and top of bridge.

08.19.15, Ryan G., Activity on the bridge. Police in water and top of bridge.

08.19.15, Debi J., Pinellas, Correction: NB Lanes - Possible Jumper -(Lots of right lanes being blocked with "Emergency Vehicles". Possible jumper did not drive on the skyway, he walked (per Fox 13 News at 4:57a).

any more info is welcome. 
08.19.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 0523, 0926, 4h3m
.
08.13.15: possible something
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
08.13.15, anon, emergency lights on bridge again :( Thursday night 10:45

any more info is welcome. 
.
08.07.15: jumper, male, 9:17pm, hit water, lived, died the next day.
Johnny Gregory Sewell
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
08.07.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: All southbound lanes blocked while FHP Troopers speak with a suicidal subject at center span.
Update 9:37PM: Skyway Update: Heartbreaking... Reports that the man speaking with Troopers has jumped. Fire boat waiting down below is with victim.
08.08.15, Update Saturday 5:50PM: The man died from his injuries. He was in cardiac arrest when pulled from the water and transported to the hospital.

08.07.15, Anon, Clearwater, Fl., Looks like some type of police activity underway on bridge. Info according to FHP active calls.

08.07.15, Lisa, Bradenton, (9:40pm), Sitting at bridge now and toll bridge tender and google maps said it was police activity related to a jumper.

08.07.15, So Sad, Palm Harbor, (9:30pm, male, hit water, lived, recovered)

08.07.15, Kimberly B., facebook, The man who jumped, has survived. Not sure how lucky he is, I'm sure he is severely injured.

08.07.15, Sandi P., facebook, Jumped, rescued by fireboat, taken to Bayfront Medical Center.

08.07.15, Brian C., twitter, @skywayjumpers I was driving by there about two hours ago and someone was sitting on the bridge and cops were surrounding them. Any word yet?

08.08.15, anon, facebook, This guy was pulled from the water by the fire boat waiting under the bridge. He was in cardiac arrest the whole time. Don't quite put him in the survive category. Only worked since they got him quickly after the jump.

08.10.15, shel, St.Pete Fl, Unfortunately we were on the bridge, seen the vehicle pulled over to the side of the road. In our mirrors we see all the police lights. Turned around, going back over the bridge. I recorded the lights hitting the yellow beams while we drove over. Then we realized we seen a gentleman sitting on the ledge of the bridge, the officers yelling at him. We were all very sad at this moment. Not being able to help, wondered what he felt was so bad that he gave up the fight. Sorry to hear he did not make it.

 skyway bridge

any more info is welcome. 
08.07.15, pinellascounty.org/911, GRID 723S MEDICAL, PD6, E11, FB11, D5, T11, R11, 675, LR1 (acronyms)

08.07.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 2117, 0210, 4h53m
 Johnny Gregory Sewell   Johnny Gregory Sewell

facebook.com


obituary
08.07.15, Jeff L., facebook, While you all wanted to say RIP or whatever else you want to say, remember this....25 paramedics and firefighters, as well as Troopers just watched him jump to his death. Sad enough for family and friends to learn he died, but think for a minute that those watching the cameras at the Crisis Center, the Troopers and the FireMedics had to deal with for someone selfish like him to commit suicide before their eyes! The sights, the sounds and the aftermath will live with and haunt them for a long time! I don't care if you tell me it's their job! They are still human and witnessing a cowardly act like this, will stay with them awhile! a response:

08.09.15, Christina JH., Manchester, TN., Jeff that was my uncle who was the jumper and for you to say such harsh things about him is uncalled for. You do not know these people and the struggles they mentally deal with. I pray that you are never in a situation where you think suicide is the only way out. please be respectful of these people and their families and their situation. (we understand jeff's stance when it comes to the public verses private suicide. we are sorry you lost your uncle, but had he done so privately, there would not be the issue of him causing literally thousands of people to be a part of his suicide performance.) zaran sends you thoughts and silly prayers:

08.10.15, Zaran L., Sarasota, FL., Christina - my thoughts and prayers to you and your family. There were multiple suicides on my father's side of the family (before I was born) and I can't imagine having to read the ugly and hateful social media comments you are receiving. Public or private, suicide is a very personal issue. Those who are condemning the victim, your uncle, are ugly and mean spirited. Anybody contemplating suicide deserves everyone's utmost respect and support and those who are victim of suicide should not be shamed for doing so 'publicly'. I am sorry for your loss and hope to never read another unkind word on this site. (I came here to find toll fees/Sunpass information...but your story caught my attention.) (when you involve the public in your "very personal issue", it is no longer a "very personal issue". it gets elevated to a "very public issue". while we agree those delayed in their commute can often be harsh with their opinion of the suicide practitioner, we understand their frustration at being trapped in their vehicle for an extended period of time, by a person making his "very personal issue", their issue as well. any number of first responders that are called out to this public suicide display, may see this as something that could have been avoided, had the suicidal made his "very personal issue" a very private issue or sought help instead. many of them risk their own safety while dealing with bridge jumpers and the recovery involved. there is also a high financial cost to the taxpayers when employing such a turnout of personnel and equipment. the bridge toll at the toll booth is $1.25 per car, plus $1.25 per each additional axle. the sunpass rates are $1.00 per car, plus $1.00 per each additional axle. there is no extra charge if your name is axel.)

10.07.15, anon, The person who jumped on 8/7/15 was my exhusband. I understand what he did made some people late for their appointments for where ever they were going. Made some mad because they were held up in traffic. I understand that when he committed suicide this way that it became public. I know for a fact he did not do this so he could disrupt other peoples lives. He did this because he knew he would not survive. He wanted away out of the life that he was living. To anyone looking at him he was just like your neighbor. He had a good job. He drove a nice car. He dressed well. He had people who loved him, but to him this was nothing. You say he should of been seeing a doctor, yes I will agree with that. But to him he thought he could over come it by himself. This is how a depressed person is. They don't want people to know that they have problems. They try to hide it because in this society who really wants to know. They try to cope with it them selves. If we as a society would only take the time to look at each and everyone. If we see something then question. That person may just may open up and say something. But we are all to busy with our own lives to notice.
.
08.01.15: possible jumper
unknown
08.01.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 1132, 1637, 5h5m

any more info is welcome. 
.
07.29.15: jumper, 5:42am, male, hit water, died, body found 3 days later
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
07.29.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Despite an attempt by law enforcement to intervene, subject jumped into water. Search now ongoing. Watch for slowdowns SB.
Update 6:40AM: Skyway: SB outside lane closure. FFWC, USCG, SPPD, HCSO, ECSR, SPFR, FHP, Sunstar all onscene searching for subject that jumped about 5:42 AM (acronyms)
Update 7:08AM: Shifting to search and recovery operation. St Petersburg PD was first onscene but not able to halt the man from jumping. So heartbreaking for the officer involved.
Update 11 AM on Saturday 8/1/2015: Marine unit from St. Pete Fire Rescue responded to pickup a body floating in Tampa Bay E of Skyway about 11 AM Saturday morning. Body located by local fishing charter captain. Likely the body of the jumper early Wednesday morning.
 skyway bridge  skyway bridge
 skyway bridge
photos via Tammie L. on iontb/fbiontb.com.

07.29.15, BC, Largo, FL., (6:30am), Heading Northbound this morning with half a dozen FHP cars and a firetruck at the top of the bridge southbound, lots of officers and firemen looking over the side of the bridge. Traffic well backed up this morning.

07.29.15, Shepdog of Skyway Lane, St Pete, FL., (5:34am), Pinellas County dispatched St Pete Rescue 11, Truck 11, Engine 11, Fire Boat 11, Eckert College SAR, FWC Marine, The Coasties and the District Chief and Rescue Lieutenant from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper.

07.29.15, Dwayne, Manatee, Jumper early this morning. no details, parked car, multiple police cars, search boat and helicopter.

07.29.15, Kacee, Ellenton, (6:00am), News ch.8 reported lane closure on Skyway, a lot of rescue vehicles searching empty car on southbound center span. Eckerd College dispatched along with USCG.

07.29.15, anon, (7:45am), Travelling northbound, saw car at peak of bridge with doors open, police on site. Traffic was very backed up and lanes were blocked. No other info.

07.29.15, Rich C., facebook, ‎activity on the southbound lanes.
 skyway bridge

07.29.15, Sheri, St Petersburg, I was heading southbound on the skyway at appx 7:30 this morning and I passed the car, the doors were open I saw inside his car. Once I passed the car I saw a pair of tennis shoes neatly placed right beside the railing, he must of took his shoes off before he jumped. I lost it after that and cried the rest of my drive to Ruskin. Praying for the family. I have looked all day for an update and haven't seen anything.

 skyway bridge  skyway bridge
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bring enough guys?
 
about three hours later and the bridge is
still obstructed because of one parked car.
any more info is welcome. 
07.29.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE, SKYWAY BG, 0531, 0h0m
07.29.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 0531, 1010, 4h39m
07.29.15, myfoxtampabay.com, Suicide attempt closes Skyway lanes,
ST. PETERSBURG (FOX 13) - An apparent suicide attempt closed a lane on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge earlier this morning.
Emergency crews spent several hours at the scene after a man jumped from the top of the southbound span. He has not been located.
One lane of traffic was closed. Delays heading into Manatee County stretched as long as an hour.
A subsequent but unrelated crash further compounded the delays.

07.29.15, tampabay.com, Crews search for man who jumped from Sunshine Skyway,
Officers from several agencies rushed to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge early Wednesday where a man jumped over the railing and into the water, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
The man's car was parked on the center span of the bridge. Authorities responded about 5:30 a.m.
Rescuers in Tampa Bay, including officials from the U.S. Coast Guard and St. Petersburg Fire Rescue, could not find the man Wednesday morning. The search was ongoing as of about 9:30 a.m.
No further information was immediately available.
08.03.15, Jay S., St. Petersburg, FL, The person who jumped on this day was the nephew of a friend of mine. She called me Wednesday afternoon and asked if we had any activity at the Skyway on Tuesday (I'm in the Coast Guard). When I told her that we did, I asked her if there was a reason she was asking. She informed me that her nephew's wife's car was found at the top of the bridge and her nephew had not contacted the family since Monday night. I told her that there was a bridge jumper and we were unable to locate his body, unfortunately. She began to cry and told me that it wasn't his first time trying to jump. He had attempted a month prior when he lost his father and he fell into depression. Fortunately he was talked down by a responding officer. My friend told me that he left behind a wife and a child less than a year old. Sad story all around. (he falls into depression over the loss of his father, then makes himself a loss to his wife, child, and everyone else he knows, no doubt setting them up with depression. the circle, unbroken. sad indeed.)
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07.28.15: what's going on here?
 skyway bridge  skyway bridge
any more info is welcome.  skyway bridge
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07.25.15: article - how an eckerd crew devised a search pattern for rescuing skyway jumpers.
07.25.15, tampabay.com, ST. PETERSBURG - The call comes into the students' emergency radio and cell phones.
Someone has jumped from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Vital seconds are eroding. The Eckerd College Search and Rescue team scrambles.
If they get to the base of the bridge before other rescuers, they can employ a special search pattern developed on a whiteboard in their office three years ago. Powering back and forth in expanding parallel sweeps through the choppy waters of Tampa Bay, they are 50 percent more likely to find the jumper than other boats searching with more traditional methods, according to their coordinator, Ryan Dilkey.
"It's saving us fuel, it's saving us time, it's increasing our likelihood of finding a search target," he said.
Dilkey and two others devised the pattern three years ago. The esoteric science of search and rescue, while not particularly sexy, is potentially critical in finding people who jump from the signature Tampa Bay landmark.
More often than not, jumpers do not survive the nearly 200-foot drop from the bridge to the water. They suffer massive body trauma, either dying on impact or drowning after they hit, said William Pellan, director of forensic investigations at the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner's Office. Sometimes the bodies float and are found easily. Sometimes they sink.
Dilkey, 39, estimates that Eckerd responds to about one suicide attempt a month. His team has employed its specialized search pattern for more than two years but has never found someone alive. On Monday, they hauled aboard a 38-year-old woman, severely injured though breathing after a suicide attempt, but two jet skiers had already located her by the time the Eckerd rescuers arrived.
Many factors about the harrowing jumps are similar. When a body hits the water below the Skyway, it begins to drift in a predictable way, outward from the bridge in whichever direction the tide and currents flow. Charts show where it might end up 30, 60 and 90 minutes after the fall — almost always within an easily identifiable cone.
Search boats often trace big, parallel lines of equal length stretching away from the bridge. Dilkey and his team noticed that such searches — which generally extend from pier to pier beneath the Skyway — mean that boats spend significant time outside the drift zone.
Crews following that pattern have about a 10 to 20 percent of passing a body; Eckerd's new model provides a 60 to 70 percent chance, Dilkey said.
It took about half a day to come up with the pattern. Dilkey worked with two other Eckerd graduates, Emily Reichert and M. Cayman Brownfield. After drawing the model, he said, he ran calculations. "I didn't think it was right. I went back and did the math again."
The Eckerd crew spent several days putting dummies into the water, setting them out to drift at strong tides and slack tides. They tracked positions using GPS. It all checked out.
Dilkey said they implemented the new search immediately. Of the next four jumpers, he said, Eckerd searchers found three. A full sweep involves a boat going about 11 mph for roughly an hour and 20 minutes.
They presented their findings to the U.S. Coast Guard and learned that their pattern is nearly a replica of the common course for skimming and containing oil spills. They also showed it to various rescue and law enforcement agencies around Tampa Bay, but not every crew can adopt it, Dilkey said.
Many agencies respond to jumper calls, including sheriff's offices from the three counties around the bay, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard. Learning to drive the successively larger lines takes time, and some boats only have one or two rescuers aboard, Dilkey said. Each Eckerd crew has four to five people, allowing some to steer while others search.
Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Rosen said his agency has a modeling program that devises search patterns based on real-time tidal data. He said the Eckerd team is among the best civilian search outfits he's seen in his 22 years with the Coast Guard.
"They're a big reason that Tampa Bay has such good response to not only bridge jumpers but anytime folks are distressed out there," Rosen said.
Eckerd hopes its model has applications across the country. "It's definitely really cool when you have the numbers to back it up," said Jordan Kuperberg, 23, a staff instructor.
Dilkey said he would like officials to test the pattern at the George Washington Bridge in New York and the Golden Gate in San Francisco.
They know, especially with a bridge as high as the Skyway, that improved efficiency might not translate to more saved lives. But just finding a person can provide closure to a family.
"Even when we become certain that it's not a life-saving endeavor," Dilkey said, "there are other lives that are affected by this."
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07.20.15: jumper, 1:14pm, female, hit water, lived
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
07.20.15, Shepdog of Skyway Lane, St Pete, FL., (1:14pm), Pinellas County dispatched St Pete Rescue 3 (covering for Rescue 11), Engine 10 (covering for Engine 11), Eckert College SAR, Florida Fish and Wildlife, the Coast Guard, Sunstar and the District Chief from downtown to grid 723S. This is the standard dispatch for a jumper.

07.20.15, Rich, St. Pete., (1:30pm, female, died, body found same day) later: My earlier report was wrong, she lived!

07.20.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Update 1:44PM: Eckerd College Search and Rescue has the conscious female aboard their vessel. Will be meeting up with crews from St Petersburg Fire Rescue and Sunstar Paramedics at O'Neill's Marina. Many boaters and jet skiers in the area assisted with the rescue.

07.20.15, info, oneco, (1:15pm), saw the ER dispatch and still shots of car and cops cars on camera

07.20.15, judi, Bradenton, I am sending a picture. I know something happened today

07.20.15, Anon, Tampa, (1:30pm), Was driving back home on northbound after a day of fishing. Traffic was backed up on southbound both lanes all.the way down to the flat part of the bridge leading to the ascending part. When I reached peak of the bridge I saw the whole emergency crew fhp road ranger etc looking overboard for the jumper I am assuming. On the northbound lane there were also two other people looking over. The car was orange. Looked like a Hyundai Veloster to me. But didn't get a good view of it since I was heading north and it was on sb.

07.20.15, Emily W., Bradenton, Fl., Boaters reporting activity around the bridge approx 2:45pm possible jumper...😞

07.20.15, Angela, email, Good afternoon, Here are some of todays photos. Not sure of the NB on S Tower Subject? He was there before/during/after the jumper.. I also have some video of the evening Mark Trinder jumped (9.15.12). That is when I first came across your site. In regards to your HCSO Calls for Service discussion, I believe the disproportionate public reporting on suicide is due to 'Suicide Contagion' & 'Suicide Cluster'.
'Suicide Cluster': A group of suicides or suicide attempts, or both, that occur closer together in time and space than would normally be expected in a given community.
'Suicide Contagion': The process through which clusters are thought to occur. The tendency of one or more person's suicidal behavior to influence others to attempt/complete suicide. I think the 'Suicide Contagion' theory is credible, but I also believe it's necessary to spotlight the elephant in the room. With that being said, your site has shed much light to all facets of suicide that would otherwise never surface, so thank you for that. I am Sincerely yours, Angela
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07.20.15, Rose, Pinellas, FL., (1:25pm), I was personally in traffic climbing the SB side of the bridge. Having seen these scenes more than once, I knew it had to be a jumper. Sure enough when I got to the top, there was the car in the gutter lane, and 5-6 cops leaning over the wall looking into the water, one pointing to a boat waving it over. My photo pretty much tells the unknown story. I know nothing of the jumper r recovery efforts. later by email: Hello, Passing by this afternoon, this was my one and only photo. Though it tells pretty much the story. I was able to zoom in from my phone as close as I wanted. The plate is Florida [withheld] on a very new looking orange vehicle. It also appears as though there may be a note taped to the drivers side window, though its hard to tell for sure. Good luck with the remaining pieces of this story. I hope my photo helps, Rose (thank you for the photo. no matter how many of these we get, they usually paint a picture of the helplessness the first responders have at helping those that have jumped. if we get any more info, it will appear here.)  skyway bridge

07.20.15, anon, facebook, Woman is 38 years-old. Somehow survived with significant injuries to pelvis and back. Not sure if she is lucky or not. Got to be a horrible recovery on top of her underlying depression. (hopefully, she will be able to use this failed attempt as the impetus to succeed at this second chance in life.)

07.22.15, Jay, Was in car with my family driving to one of the hotels passing the bridge and saw the traffic and all the cops leaning over. I knew it was a jumper because of the telephone poles, and also saw the coast guard helicpoter searching for someone so it was definetly a jumper. Very sad

08.18.15, anon, She's still in ICU with a pelvic bone that won't heal correctly and has had a steel rod put in her back.

any more info is welcome. 
07.20.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, ASSIST OTHER AGENCY, SKYWAY BG, 1321, 1514, 1h53m
07.20.15, tampabay.com, Eckerd rescue team finds Skyway jumper alive
SST. PETERSBURG — The minute the alert came in, the checklist took shape in Jordan Kuperberg's mind. Get in the water. Tell the crew to get ready to pull the woman out of the bay. Swim to her. Keep her head above water. Get back on board. Get back to land.
She steadied her mind, focusing on each step in turn. She pushed away her astonishment: This was the first time she'd responded to a Sunshine Skyway bridge jumper and found the person alive.
On Monday afternoon, a 38-year-old woman from Tampa leaped from the southbound side of the bridge. About 30 minutes later, Kuperberg was keeping her afloat as the Eckerd College search and rescue team coordinated a rescue.
"In the moment, you have to learn how to compartmentalize and focus on one thing and at the same time not get tunnel vision," Kuperberg said. "It's kind of a tightrope that you walk."
Kuperberg, 23, grew up around water in Maryland, a competitive swimmer and lifeguard. On a tour of Eckerd College, a student introduced her to the search and rescue program.
When she graduated in 2014, it was with four years of search and rescue experience under her belt. In October 2014, she became a staff instructor.
Her first big test as a leader on the squad came on the January night when police say 5-year-old Phoebe Jonchuck was dropped from the Dick Misener Bridge north of the Skyway by her father.
As coordinator, Kuperberg called the shots during the search for Phoebe: where to go, who's involved, what comes next.
"Pretty surreal," she said. "That happening in January was like, 'Oh my goodness.' It was the first actual high-stress situation where I was pushed out of the nest to see if I could fly on my own."
What she learned in her training, she said, was how to take things step by step, how to keep an uncluttered mind.
"It's all about staying calm and maintaining your composure," she said. "If you're freaking out, your boat is not going to do well."
On Monday, Kuperberg's pager pinged at 1:15 p.m., alerting the team to a water rescue in the area. Another staffer took the reins as coordinator while Kuperberg boarded the boat along with three students. At 1:22 p.m., they were under way, with Kuperberg as first mate and first responder.
Kuperberg has worked suicides before, but it's not a number she likes to tally. She had never seen anyone survive that long fall.
As the boat neared the bridge's center span about 20 minutes later, though, she saw a man holding a woman's head above water near the bridge's pilings.
Close by, another man waited with two water scooters.
Kuperberg put on a rescue vest and harness attached to a floating line and swam about 15 feet to the woman. She had a quick conversation with the man:
"Okay, do you have her?" he asked.
"Yes, I have her supported," she said, floating the woman on her life vest and signaling the boat to reel them in. She tried to calm the woman, who was speaking and in obvious pain.
That pain demanded a different method of lifting her onboard besides the usual backboard. The team slipped a sheet under her and lifted her up.
The whole transaction took one minute. The Eckerd team then sped to O'Neill's Marina in St. Petersburg, arriving at 1:57 p.m. The woman was taken away in an ambulance.
"I was surprised, but obviously, it's a very rewarding situation when you're able to get on scene and find the patient alert, and you're really able to help them out," Kuperberg said.
The Skyway, where a jumper can hit the water at about 75 mph in just 3.5 seconds, sees an average of eight deaths from its edge per year. That statistic makes it the deadliest so-called "suicide bridge" east of the Mississippi River.
But some do survive. In 2009, the Times reported that more than 130 people had died jumping from the bridge since it reopened in 1987. About a dozen who made the nearly 200 foot drop had survived.
Sgt. Steve Gaskins of the Florida Highway Patrol said he does not release the names of jumpers. He said the woman was in serious condition Monday afternoon and was being treated.
Kuperberg said the day was a reminder of why she is grateful for the rescue program.
"We were happy that we were able to help somebody out and that she survived," Eckerd College spokesman Tom Scherberger said. "It's a pretty rare event for someone to survive."
After the adrenaline rush of the rescue, Kuperberg said, the mood among the team was elation. The operation was smooth, even textbook, as one supervisor put it.
Just like she was trained.

07.21.15, bradenton.com, Tampa woman who jumped from Sunshine Skyway recovering.
HILLSBOROUGH -- A 38-year-old woman who jumped from the center span of the Sunshine Skyway on Monday survived and is recovering, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Troopers were alerted to the jump at 1:14 p.m., according to Sgt. Steve Gaskins of FHP. Several people saw the Tampa woman jump and rushed to help her, he said.
Some stayed with her until an official rescue team arrived, and she was transported to a hospital where she is alive and recovering Tuesday, according to Gaskins. comments follow, such as:
•Mike N., Indeed. One person I read about simply got paralyzed, disemboweled and then was scooped up by some boaters. Today, they're in a wheelchair, with a colostomy bag. St. Pete Times did a good story on jumpers a few years ago. It can be very traumatic for everybody. Whatever your problem is, things will eventually get better. You live in the richest point in human history, in one of the richest countries in the world. Just wait.....good times will come back around.
•Kristin R., Sarasota, A friend of mine is with the Coast Guard. Most people who jump are alive and suffering terribly for awhile before they die. This is not a fast, painless way to kill yourself. You may want to reconsider.
07.21.15, Cherie, I was driving NB had my daughter & her friend. We had just come from St Pete beach & visiting Echerd college bout 1:10 when a man ran across in front of us I thought how dangerous his job was & then as we proceeded up the bridge I see a small orange SUV. I think I see something go over the side. Thinking back it could have been back of someone's head. Then it became more clear that someone may have jumped when a larger white SUV swerved in Front of me & quickly parked in front of orange SUV. As Im processing this in my head Im about to pass the orange SUV & look in the vehicle & see no one inside. Then Im more sure I saw what I think I saw. I then said to the girls "Never let your day get that bad. Jesus will always be there for u. I stopped @ the rest area ahead to see if I could find a officer. Didnt want to call 911 Because I wasnt sure. I found 2men that worked there told them. Later when I told a friend she said "The dark can consume us if we don't have Jesus. Hope everyone reading this site can pray that all the darkness is lifted so no more people feel that is the only option. (thanks for the report, but do tell us where your jesus was before this woman jumped. what good would praying do now, when he clearly led her to the bridge and heaved her over the edge?) seems someone took issue with our reply.
open request to this person: care to tell your story?
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07.18.15: save, male, 2:30am
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
07.20.15, B.M.H., (07.18.15, 2:30am, male, Driving southbound across the SKyway early Saturday morning (7/18) and noticed a white sedan parked on the right shoulder at the summit. While passing the vehicle I saw a person straddling the barrier. I called 911 and was promptly relayed to FHP who took my information and dispatched police to the scene. I haven't heard the outcome, yet.

07.20.15, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, facebook/FLHSMV, On July 18th, Trooper P. McMillan of Troop C responded to a call of a possible suicidal subject sitting on the outside wall atop the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa, Florida. Upon arrival, Trooper McMillan was able to build a rapport with the subject and pull him off the wall. At DHSMV, our members continue to save lives and work toward our vision of A Safer Florida! Thank you Trooper McMillan for a job well done!

any more info is welcome.
09.26.15, Chris, Tampa, FL., Found a video posted by somebody passing this incident.
 
holy.....fudge.
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06.30.15: jumper, 7:49pm, male, died
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
06.30.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Crews on top and below the bridge working to recover yet another jumper.

06.30.15, Marina K. S., facebook, Another one? Just passed now 8:27pm
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06.30.15, Craig V. D. W., facebook, Jumper tonight from NY double Gainer off the Crown Vic and the Skyway bridge. God bless !
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06.30.15, Cynthia M., st petersburg, I live in Isla Del Mar and have been seeing flashing Lights for about an hour.

06.30.15, Jennifer T., Tampa, FL., (9:10pm), Was driving over the bridge Northbound around 9:10pm and saw a silver Crown Victoria pulled over in the Southbound lanes. There were two cops with lights flashing behind the car, and one cop looking in the windows of the crown vic with a flashlight. As I was returning Southbound around 9:50, the vehicle was still there, as well as one police car. The right lane was completely blocked off. From the glance I got, it appeared to have a New York license plate. My heart sunk as soon as I saw the car, I hope this was just a stranded car and not a jumper :(

06.30.15, Ty T., Bradenton, Fl., We were driving over the skyway today and a bunch of police were looking down off the side and a helicopter was watching closely. No other details.  br>
06.30.15, facebook, Christine F., So sad! My heart goes out to their family!!! My husband and I drove by about 10:00 tonight and saw the officers looking over the bridge.

07.01.15, Frank M., Sarasota, I saw the guy get out of the car, walk around the back and used his left hand to get his legs over the side. He went over the side feet first. It took several seconds for me to realize what I had just witnessed. I pulled over and called 911.

07.01.15, Anonymous, Manatee county, Believe it or not I witnessed this individual stop his vehicle and walk to the back of his car, climb over the side and push off. I was and still am in shock about seeing this. I also was probably the first caller to dial 911 for this incident. Video of a family member crossing the bridge hours later. This will forever change my life. Very sad and tragic. My thoughts are with his family. (video? what?)

07.06.15, Shannon, Bradenton, (06.30.15, 8:00pm), My husband and I were driving northbound over the bridge when we saw what appeared to be an abandoned silver Crown Victoria on the southbound side at the top of the bridge. On our way down, we saw a police car going southbound on its way to the abandoned vehicle. I was hoping it was just someone who broke down, but about am hour and a half later, when we were driving back over the bridge, southbound, the right lane was closed and there were police officers by the abandoned vehicle. Very sad.

any more info is welcome. 
06.30.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY  BG, 1949, 0009, 4h20m
07.01.15, Anonymous, St. Pete., regarding the jumper on the 30th, This kind of thing is so selfish, when i was there (cant say who i am job reasons) there was a family fishing, if you are thinking of this do not, you are ruining other peoples lives... They can not "un see" what happened. If you are thinking about this get help, dont bring other people into this.

07.08.15, Alex, South Tampa, This is very strange and sad for me because I hired a car to drive me to Sarasota for the night. We stopped at the rest area before going over the bridge and ended up needed to have that car towed (Silver Lincoln Towncar) and go get another car. We stopped there again to retrieve somethng from the car when I noticed the action on the bridge. The parking lot attendent told me about the jump. I saw the car as we drove past and noticed the silver Mercury Grand Marquis. It was strange to see a car that looked so much like my car and it's hearbreaking to think people take their lives in such a dramatic way. I'll always remember it as long as I live.
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06.26.15: jumper, 12:55pm, male, hit water, died, body found same day
Charles Wireman, 69
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
06.26.15, Tracy B., Clearwater, (1:45pm, male), Driving back from Bradenton two female police officers were talking to a male (about 40) and as I was approaching the top of the bridge he just through his leg over and jumped. So sad.

06.26.15, Timothy G., facebook, Scanner feed from today at 1:27pm. At mark 7:20 confirmation of body being taken back to O'Neils. (thank you. we edited out the dead air from the original 8m39s. death confirmation at 1:17.)
  2m35s - 64kbps
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06.26.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Rescue units responding to reports of a subject that jumped from NB lanes of center span. Watch for emergency units ‪#moveover ---- Update 1:20PM: Subject confirmed deceased. ----- Update 2:40PM: Correction from earlier post: Subject that jumped from the bridge was a male.
 
06.26.15, Kathy F., received second hand, just came over the sunshine skyway to a man who jumped. trooper just pulled up on the scene as we passed by the empty vehicle.... read in the police blog the man 70 years jumped at 12:55 we passed at 12:58. i have goosebumps from head to toe and pray for his family.
 
06.26.15, Josie, Bradenton, Florida,(1:00pm, male, hit water, died, body found same day), I was driving to Tampa to pick up my husband from the airport. I was on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge northbound. Almost at the top of the bridge I see a police officers vehicle parked with flashing lights so I moved to the left. I did not see any police officers out of the vehicle. About 9 car lengths ahead I saw a blue SUV parked. As I was getting closer to it I saw a man in a blue shirt run out of the driver's seat and run in front of his vehicle. As I was passing him I saw him put his leg on the ledge and jump off the side of the bridge. I was horrified. I had cars all behind me and did not know what to do and just started crying. I would have called 911 but I already knew there was a police officer there. I pray for this man and his family. I keep seeing his image in my head and just start to cry. later: I am confused with some of the other comments. I did not see any police officers out of their cars before I saw the man jump out of his car and jump off the side of the bridge. I was confused why the police car was so far away from the car normally they pull right behind the vehicle. All I saw was the man get out of his car and jump. (this is exactly why we feel we can call out the suicide practitioner as being somewhat selfish. against your will, this man performed a horror show exit you will never forget. had he the option to seek end of life assistance, you would not be writing about what you went through. as for why the other reports vary as compared to yours, it's common that people see and remember things differently. there is not a lot of time to be paying attention to your skyway driving, much less witnessing someone stepping over the wall, poof, gone. you have people, cars, speed, bridge, sky, water, birds, police activity, and a person ending their own life. it's a lot to take in all at once. the mind processes such an overload of input differently, with different people remembering the same series of events in random order, with real and/or "remembered" particulars to the story. that's why many of our reports paint several different pictures of the same event. one reason why the police park their cruisers so far upstream from the event epicenter, is so oncoming traffic can be given ample opportunity to safely slow down, move over, and not become an additional element to the scene. also, ambulances, tow trucks, and fire equipment often come along and those vehicles usually need to be closer to the action than the patrol car. although, once someone jumps, we also tend to wonder why there are still so many first responders up on the deck, when all the action has dropped below it. thank you for your input and we truly hope you cope with what you saw.)
06.27.15, Josie, Bradenton, Florida, Thank you so much. I had nightmares all night. I feel so sad for him and his family.
 
06.26.15, Natasha N., facebook, My husband, son and father in law were fishing under the bridge today and the man landed feet away from our boat. My husband was able to keep our 5 yr. old from seeing the body. I found your site and appreciate you posting eyewitness accounts/comments as I have been searching all day for the mans name or any info and your site was all I could find. It has been extremely unsettling for me. (things sure do change fast when a good day of fishing turns into that. thank you, we hope your family copes with the ordeal.)
06.26.15, Natasha N., facebook, Thank you. I wouldn't be able to deal with that, I wasn't even on the boat with them and I'm beside myself. Honestly, In my Opinion, it's better that he died instantly. I can't imagine my son seeing my husband try to save a mangled man on the deck of our boat. If you happen to find his name would you please share with me? (any and all info will be posted here. you should probably avoid reading this story. Geoff G. describes what could have been for your guys.)
 
06.27.15, BCW, Lakeland, My husband and father in law were fishing under the skyway and witnessed and recovered the man's body and held him until law enforcement came and took him. Very sad situation but thankful myself or my 10 year old was not on the boat.
 
06.27.15, Michael H., facebook, Charles Wireman was the man that jumped off the bridge yesterday. He was a former Hillsborough County Public School science teacher. He had retired many years ago. He had a stroke a few years ago. He really didn't have much nearby family. Depression is a really dark spot. He was a Vietnam Vet who earned two Purple Hearts. He was a great guy. Sad to see him do this. (we received a mention of his name this morning, but nothing about him. tragic how life can diminish to such a point. sorry you lost someone you knew.)
 
any more info is welcome.
 
 Charles Wireman
06.26.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY  BG, 1254, 1757, 5h03m
06.28.15, Marilyn (sister), Charles Wireman 6-26-2015, Age 69, Love is stronger than death.

06.29.15, Ashley S., crossville, tn., I had known Charles many years as a Vietnam Vet, father, teacher, and all around great man. He had lived a long life with its obstacles like a stoke 5 years ago. I will forever be SAD that he did not reach out to friends and family instead of taking his own life. Suicide was not the answer. Good-bye Charles.
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06.12.15: jumper, 7:30pm, female, hit water, died, body found same day
Toni Michelle Bennett, 58,
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
06.12.15, Marina K. S., facebook, Sadly it looks like another jumper. passed scene at about 740pm

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06.12.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Watch for emergency vehicles responding to the bridge. Reports of a woman that may have jumped from the northbound lanes. Update 8:05PM: Skyway Bridge: Body of victim recovered at the base of the bridge. Slow traffic atop the bridge. FHP with vehicle. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office responding. later: Woman about 50yo witnessed by many ppl. FD swimmer entered the water as she was up against the rocks.

06.13.15, khol v., ste.pete, fl., (06.12.15, female), I was on my way home from work about 7:30pm and passed a small blue, looked like a KIA soal on right side of the north bound way I watched her exit her vehicle and walk around the front of her vehicle as I was passing I looked in my rear view mirror and watched her jump off the side of the bridge. I didn't know who to call so I called my girlfriend and told her what I seen and asked her to call authorities. The image is stuck in my head. Very intense (we often get reports such as yours, detailing the surreal nature of witnessing someone make their last living move. it could replay in your head for quite some time. we do hope you cope with what you saw.) a comment: 06.13.15, anon, Toni was my sister and any information would be appreciated. I'm so sorry you had to witness that. (sorry you lost your sister. if we get any more information, we will post it here.)

06.17.15, keith B., St Petersburg, (06.12.15, 06time: 7:30pm), I was driving by an saw a woman look over the side of the bridge like see was just waiting. I thought her car may have broken down. Then in my rear view mirror I saw her put one leg over then the next and push off. It happen so quickly. I wish I would have/could have done anything. I just called 911. I still see her jumping every day. Its sad. (it is sad that you had to see something you can not unsee.)

any more info is welcome.

 Toni Michelle Bennett

 Toni Michelle Bennett
06.12.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY  BG, 1924, 0013, 4h49m
06.15.15, hcso.tampa.fl.us, Suicide: A woman jumped from the center span of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Friday, June 12, 2015, Time: 7:50 PM
Victim: (deceased - next of kin notified): Toni L. Bennett, DOB: 01/12/1957, Bradenton, FL.
Recovered vehicle: 2009 Blue Nissan Cube SUV
Details: On June 12, 2015 just before 7:30 pm, a motorist spotted a female jump from the center span of the bridge. Deputies recovered an abandoned vehicle at the top of the bridge and a deceased female was recovered from the waters underneath the bridge.
U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, St Pete Fire Rescue Marine Unit and the Florida Highway Patrol assisted in this incident.
06.12.15, tampabay.com, Woman jumps from Sunshine Skyway, dies in apparent suicide, authorities say.
A passing motorist saw the woman jump from the center span of the bridge shortly before 7:30 p.m., according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. Deputies recovered an abandoned vehicle at the top of the span and a woman's body from the waters below the bridge.
Deputies were working Friday night to identify the woman and notify her family.

06.13.15, tampabay.com, Woman who jumped off Sunshine Skyway identified.
A woman who jumped to her death Friday off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was identified as Toni L. Bennett, 58, of Bradenton, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Saturday.
A passing motorist saw the woman jump from the center span of the bridge shortly before 7:30 p.m., according to the Sheriff's Office. Deputies recovered an abandoned 2009 Nissan Cube SUV at the top of the span and a woman's body from the waters below the bridge.
The Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the St. Petersburg Fire Rescue marine unit and the Florida Highway Patrol assisted in the incident. An investigation is ongoing.

06.15.15, bradenton.com, comment from article: C. McC., This is so sad, my girlfriend and I were on our way to Rays vs White Sox at the tropic field. We were passing over the bridge just minutes after she jumped. We made the joke about the cube being pulled over for someone to jump but it was a stupid comment to make. Now I have this gut wrenching feeling in my stomach and I feel awful. Prayers for this family. I wish I could have been there at the time she got out. I would have tried to stop her.

06.15.15, heraldtribune.com, comment from article: J. B., So sad when people think this is the answer. They have no idea what this does to their family...
  Toni Michelle Bennett
Toni Michelle Bennett

obituary
06.17.15, Luke, bradenton, fl., Toni was a wonderful mother and person. She was prescribed Clonazepam 2mg three days before her death. Clonazepam is called the world's dangerous drug. rest in peace my love. (we are truly sorry you lost her. the list of negative side effects of this drug are too numerous to list here, thoughts of suicide being one of the many. the fact that headmeds are the go-to "cure" for so many people, it's no wonder we are a nation of over medicated, mentally ill drug abusers. it is our opinion that if the doctors prescribing these headmeds would be made responsible for these negative outcomes, we would generally be a healthier country mentally. don't get us started on the drugging of children with this poison. yeah, but let's keep the battle going over that horror drug, marijuana.)

06.18.15, anonymous, st. Petersburg, Police and toxicology/autopsy reports will answer many questions. Hopefully she left a note to help the family understand what drove her to this. I'm a nurse and usually clonazepam at that dose would not cause suicidal thoughts that quickly. I feel so sad for her and hope the family will get all the answers they deserve. (the dose does seem light and perhaps played little to nothing in her decision to jump, however, we stand behind our anti-headmed rant. we have witnessed far too much harm with them, both on this website and our life. we too hope the family gets all their answers and can cope with what happened. thank-you for your input.)

06.21.15, Anon, Clearwater, Florida, I was very touched by the story of Toni Bennett. Does anyone know if there was an obituary posted? I would really like to extend my condolences to the family. Her story really saddened me. Thank you. (obituary)

06.21.15, anonymous, Georgia, I'm deeply saddened by this tragedy and offer the family my condolences. I do have to say that I've been on Clonazepam for 15 years for anxiety and seizures. It has saved my life and it's not a "headmed"/ psychotropic drug. It's a benzodiazepine. It is far from the world's most dangerous drug. Prescribed and taken right is offers help for a host of conditions. I don't think the medication played a big part in this woman's tragic decision. (of course these headmeds work for some people, but we still stand with our opinion they are doled out far too often to people that could do better another way. we are glad they work for you.)

06.25.15, Lucas, bradenton, My mother Toni Bennett, I love you and miss you everyday. I forgive you.

07.08.15, Luke, Bradenton, Florida, To my sweet Toni. I want to say I miss you so much it has been a never ending pain since you died. It is hard after 19 yrs of loving someone just to stop due to this event. I morn for you every minute of the day. I can't understand why you did this, leaving your son and I alone with the thought we will never see you again. It is a horrible to see this bridge everyday and then bringing your ashes home on June 30Th from Tampa and seeing that car on the other side of the bridge knowing he or she took the same path as you. I love you Toni. (we are truly sorry for your loss.)

08.23.15, Luke B., bradenton, It has been 73 days since I loss you. Missing you more each day that goes by.

10.12.15, Luke B., Bradenton, Fl., 4 months since you left us. Still missing you my Love. The pain of losing you has been unbearable.

11.11.15, Luke B., Bradenton, FL., My sweet Toni it's 4 months since the day I lost you. I morn for you everyday and ask myself why.

12.12.15, Luke B., Bradenton, FL., Toni my sweet it's been 6 months since you left us.....I want to say I love you and wish you could see how you are missed by all that knew you. The pain of your death had not subsided and i think it will never will...missing you.

01.12.16, Luke B., Bradenton, FL., To my sweet Toni on your Birthday. It has been seven months since you left us. I wanted you to know your are missed dearly. I still ask my self why. Love you my beautiful Toni.

06.12.16, Luke B., Bradenton, FL., June 12,2016 My sweet Toni one year has past from that horrible day you left us. You never said I'm leaving You never said goodbye. You were gone before I knew it. A million times I needed you, A million times I cried. If love alone could have saved you, You never would have died. In life I loved you dearly, In death I love you still. That no one could ever fill. It broke my heart to lose you, But you didn't go alone. For part of me went with you.

06.11.18, luke, Bradenton, June 12 is a very sad time it’s been 3 years since you left us..I miss you more and more .Without you in my arms, I feel an emptiness in my soul. I find myself searching the crowds for your face—I know it’s an impossibility, but I cannot help myself.I love you my sweet Toni
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05.21.15: save, 6:25pm, male
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
05.21.15, Bill E., Riverview, Fl., (6:25pm), HCSO responding to FHP call for assistance at top of bridge. White male on edge. later: 6:33pm, Jumper in Fhp custody. All units called off.

any more info is welcome.
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05.15.15: skywalk?, male
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
05.17.15, anon, (05.15.15, male, no phones, was stopped from jumping), This was a family member of mine. He was on the Skywalk friday morning thinking about jumping. Someone called law enforcement after seeing him walk back and forth from his vehicle to the Skywalk several times. Fhp's quick response to the scene, gave them a chance to talk him down and get him some help. Thanks FHP

any more info is welcome.
.
05.13.15: possible save, 08:42pm
unknown
11.25.19, Hillsborough Sheriff, MENTALLY ILL PERSON/VIOLENT, 3839, SKYWAY BG, 2042, 2259

any more info is welcome.
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04.26.15: possible jumper
unknown
04.26.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, SUICIDE ATTEMPT, SKYWAY BG, 0514, 0549, 0h35m

any more info is welcome. 
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03.31.15: save, 8:48am, male
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
03.31.15, natasha b., bradenton, fl., (9:30am, male), I was driving northbound on the Skyway Bridge for work this morning at exactly 9:30am I passed by several sheriffs and local cop cars and his brown truck, who steered traffic away. I saw a white male with grey shirt on hanging off the bridge, teo hands holding on, one leg over guard rail and entire body over the guardrail. I dont know if he jumped. I hope not. Very upsetting day.

03.31.15, Marina K. S., facebook, Did someone jump? Police looking over edge with a truck parked there. Hope not.
 skyway bridge

 skyway bridge  skyway bridge

any more info is welcome.
03.31.15, bradenton.com, Suicidal man talked down off Sunshine Skyway Bridge by officers
MANATEE -- A suicidal person was talked down from the ledge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge this morning by the Florida Highway Patrol and the St. Petersburg Police Department's Crisis Unit.
According to FHP Trooper Kenneth Watson, the man was on the ledge advising that he wanted to jump. The man had been driving a bronze-colored 2011 Ford truck.
FHP troopers were on the scene Tuesday, and additional help was on the way from the United States Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with boats in case the subject jumped.
FHP troopers received a call about a suicidal person at 8:48 a.m. Tuesday and a trooper was on the scene within minutes, according to Watson. They managed to secure the man and left at 9:58 a.m.
"I can tell you that all units are following the ambulance to Manatee Memorial Hospital," said Watson.
Watson couldn't say whether the subject was under the influence of some narcotic.
"There's obviously been a catastrophic event that has occurred that has brought him to his point," Watson said. "Our job is to get him off and then we'll hand him to the medical professionals." (thanks jason, bradenton)

03.31.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Averted Skyway Suicide This Morning. Great job to all the agencies involved. On March 31, 2015 at 8:40 AM, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) was patrolling northbound I-275 near mile marker 9 on the Skyway Bridge. A FHP trooper observed a Ford pick-up truck stopped on top of the bridge span and a distraught white male sitting nearby on the ledge of the bridge. The white male began shouting at the trooper advising the trooper to back away. In turn, the trooper requested emergency back up and began attempting to establish a rapport with the subject. Additional Florida Highway Patrol Troopers, Florida Wildlife Commission Officers (FWC), Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Saint Petersburg Police Department responded to the scene. The US Coast Guard along with the FWC Marine Unit responded and stood by at the base of the bridge in the water. During the course of engaging in a conversation with the subject, emergency personnel were able to physically pull the subject to safety and detain him. The subject was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital for evaluation and will be Baker Acted upon release.
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03.29.15: possible jumper
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
03.29.15, anon, Sarasota, Possible jumper- drove over (southbound) at about 9:00 p.m.- police officer with lights on at the top--- behind a vacant 4-door black car.

any more info is welcome. 
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02.28.15: possible jumper, male
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
03.01.15, Bill E., Riverview, (02.28.15, 5:00pm, male), On scanner, heard a dispatch to a deputy to respond to Skyway Re: call from Sarasota, person left and threatened to jump. Male driving a black car, believed to be a Maxima.

03.01.15, mandie, st. Petersburg, FL., (03.01.15, 12:08am), Possible jumper. 3 FHP vehicles, fire and ems. Black 4 door, newer car at the top of the bridge. Anyone have any info?

seems these two reports could be linked. any more info is welcome. 
02.28.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, ASSIST OTHER AGENCY, SKYWAY  BG,  2345, 0033, 0h48m
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02.25.15: possible fog bird sighting
02.25.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Unconfirmed report of a possible jumper NB lanes north of the main bridge. Heavy fog still in area.
Update: All units went available. Passing motorist who was not from the area called in the report. It is unfounded and may have been a bird in the fog that caused the concern.
(obviously, this passing motorist is not familiar with the dreaded florida fog bird.)

any more info is welcome.
 
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02.17.15: save, 11:13pm, male
thank you, jumpnews reporter:
02.17.15, Keith M., Gulfport, FL., (11:30pm, male, didn't jump, taken away), Driving home from Sarasota, saw an abandoned white car with 2 FHP vehicles at top of Northbound lane, iontb/fbiontb.com is reporting that troopers were able to secure the potential jumper.

any more info is welcome.
02.17.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Rescue crews responding to bridge with ground/marine units. Investigating reports of a possible suicidal person.
Update 11:37PM: Skyway bridge: FHP Trooper was able to secure the individual atop the bridge. Crews began to respond about 11:13PM after a call received regarding a white car stopped at the top of the bridge in the right lane. Additional information reported a male laying on the railing of the bridge with his leg hanging over. FHP responded and apparently found the subject back in his vehicle. Trooper was able to safely secure the subject.
12.25.16, Monica, Naples, FL., Thanks to FL highway trooper's excellent job my son is still alive. He was saved 2/17/2015 at 11:37 pm he was clinically depressed and is still not capable of functioning but at least he is alive. He is 26 years old and he is my only son. (the troopers are the only real jumper preventative. they can not get to everyone, but luckily, they got to your son. we hope you cope.)
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02.15.15: save, 5:00pm
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
02.15.15, mel, seminole, fl., (5:00pm), Not sure what happened but red truck was stopped at top of bridge in southbound ln on side by water. Police at top and then saw ambulance and fire truck on their way to scene.

02.16.15, Seymour B., st. pete, (02.15.15, 5:00pm, didn't jump, taken away), PD4 stopped jumper, patient was taken to hospital by st. pete fire and rescue, 3 days of observation. Sunstar also responded but were late and driving badly as usual. (i know i could drive an ambulance better than some of these grandpa-like drivers they have.)

02.16.15, Bill E., Riverview, Fl., (02.15.15, 5:00pm), Listened after seeing grid 723s. No marine units dispatched. Heard EMS talking about bringing a patient up using the elevator. Are there elevators in the towers? But it was not a jumper.

any more info is welcome.
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02.07.15: jumper, 1:48pm, male, hit water, died, body found same day
unknown
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
02.07.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Rescue crews arriving to what appears another suicide. Reports of a boat below with victim. Watch for emergency vehicles!
Update 2:15PM: Skyway Bridge: Right lane of I-275 southbound blocked atop the bridge. Numerous emergency vehicles present.
Update 2:20PM: Another unfortunate and tragic suicide from atop the bridge. Hillsborough Co Sheriff's Office to investigate. Body being brought to shore by St. Pete Fire Rescue.

02.07.15, Krista, st. pete, (3:20pm, male, didn't jump, taken away), I took pictures of a guy in the back of a pinellas county sheriff car on the apex of the bridge. There was also a trooper as well as an empty Bradleys AC repair truck stopped at the top. Glad he chose life. Traffic was at a 5mph pace. (not sure what you saw at that time. maybe it was a witness to the jump.)

02.07.15, LB, St Petersburg, (1:48pm, male, hit water, died, body found), Was in my boat on our way away from the Skyway when we saw a truck stop at the top of the bridge and the guy jumped. We watched him summersault all the way to water. Went over to him and he was expired. Called 911 and Coast Guard fire rescue showed up and took him away.
 skyway bridge
screenshot from the video, "Top 6 Creepiest Websites".

02.07.15, Will, Longwood, FL., (2:00pm), Followed FFs/several police vehicles that all came upon a white van used by a air conditioning company-van was empty and officers/FFs were looking over the side and others were roping off the area with yellow tape.

any more info is welcome. 
02.07.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, DECEASED PERSON, SKYWAY BG, 1405, 1927, 5h22m
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01.29.15: opinion article - Ruth: Suicide prevention nets logical addition to Sunshine Skyway.
01.29.15, tampabay.com, Daniel Ruth, Times Columnist,
It is one of the oldest public safety axioms: That if doing X, Y or Z will save but only one life, just one, then whatever the proposal, it is still worth the cost and effort to implement.
But apparently that idealistic notion does not apply when aesthetics take precedence over public safety in making it more difficult for people to take their lives by jumping from the Sunshine Skyway.
Each year approximately eight troubled people leap from the Skyway to their deaths 197 feet below. The roadway ranks No. 4 in the nation for bridge suicides. According to the website SkywayBridge.com, since 1954 when the first span opened, 234 people have used it to kill themselves. So far in 2015 one person has chosen the bridge as their last resort.
These aren't just dispassionate statistics. Chances are, most of us have had our lives touched by the suicide of a friend, family member or co-worker and are left to endlessly wonder what might have been if only the victim had been stopped in time, given a second chance at the life they were about to throw away.
Two years ago federal transportation funding became available to provide money to install bridge safety nets to capture potential suicides. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, currently undergoing a renovation, will now include nets. The George Washington Bridge in Seattle has installed a suicide prevention net. But not the Sunshine Skyway.
Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kristin Carson told the Tampa Bay Times' Rachel Crosby the agency is "watching and assessing" what other states are doing. It's just a silly idea, but wouldn't it be refreshing if other states were looking at what Florida was pro-actively doing to save lives? Just one?
A study done several years ago on suicide prevention netting on the Skyway concluded the webbing might actually cause a suicidal person to bounce back onto the roadway into oncoming traffic. And the same study raised questions a suicide prevention net would detract from the Skyway's elegant architectural design.
But the technology has improved. And after all, if the Golden Gate Bridge, one of the nation's most beautiful and truly iconic spans, can accommodate an antisuicide net, why can't the Sunshine Skyway?
Over the years there have been a small number of suicidal people who, incredibly, have survived the jump off the Skyway. There at least 36 known rare survivors of the jump who sustained massive injuries. Invariably many of these people have noted that almost immediately upon stepping off the bridge the thought occurred to them that what they had just done was a really, really bad idea.
It is true the Sunshine Skyway has six crisis hotline phones along its span. And that's a very good thing.
There is no question the installation of a net might not save every person bound and determined to take their lives. But for others, the safety net holds out the promise that what begins as a really, really bad idea need not be a fatal choice, but rather a rescue from their demons. And isn't that one life vastly more important than aesthetics? (we don't want to be redundant, repetitive, recurrent, and repeat ourselves, but can someone in charge look at the ESR device and maybe tell us why it's not worth a study? they study the mating habits of snails, yet we can't pony up a couple bucks to stop skyway jumpers?)
..
01.23.15: article - New funding, technology could prompt suicide barrier for Skyway.
01.23.15, tampabay.com, By Rachel Crosby, Times Staff Writer
Each year, an average of eight people fall to their deaths from the Sunshine Skyway bridge, which soars up to 197 feet above Tampa Bay. That statistic makes it the deadliest so-called "suicide bridge" east of the Mississippi River.
Already this year, a person has committed suicide from the bridge.
But what if a barrier — such as a wide net in the belly of the bridge — had been in place?
The nation's deadliest suicide bridge, California's Golden Gate, is preparing to install such a net, thanks to newly available federal funds to pay for suicide barriers.
But no such plans are in the works for the Skyway.
"Are we looking at a netting or barrier system at this time?" said Kristin Carson, a spokeswoman with the Florida Department of Transportation. "We are watching and assessing what other states are doing."
Fifteen years ago, Carson said, a study on installing a Skyway suicide barrier was conducted, and the idea was rejected. Engineers questioned whether a net would fling jumpers back onto the bridge and into traffic, and there were concerns about it ensnaring trash and wildlife. Questions were also raised about how a net or barrier would affect the bridge's iconic appearance.
But technology has advanced, Carson said, so another study would be required to make a decision.
About two years ago, President Obama signed Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century into law. Among its provisions, the transportation initiative made federal funds available for bridge safety nets.
It's the primary source of funding for the Golden Gate's $76 million installation, which will begin this fall and take about two years to complete.
"We consider it absolutely key in making this project move forward," said Dana Fehler, Golden Gate Bridge spokeswoman. About $49 million of the project cost is coming from the federal government, and the rest is being paid by California mental health grants and the bridge district.
"Those within the suicide-prevention field were ecstatic, if not somewhat frustrated that it's taken so long," said William M. Schmitz Jr., American Association of Suicidology president.
"There's just so much evidence to substantiate the fact that these things save lives," he said of suicide barriers.
"The Sunshine bridge is gorgeous. But I think there's ways to make it safer without greatly detracting from the aesthetics."
Fehler acknowledged aesthetics too, adding that the Golden Gate kept the bridge's beauty in mind when planning the barrier.
"If you're driving or a pedestrian or a cyclist, you'll never know it's there," she said. "It's very low profile."
But the Golden Gate is just more than a mile and a half long, compared to the Skyway's nearly 4-mile stretch. The San Francisco bridge also has no notable incline, while the Skyway rises to a crest and comes down again, making the logistics of a barrier different and potentially more costly.
Seattle's George Washington Memorial Bridge, the nation's second-deadliest for suicides, installed an 8-foot suicide-prevention fence in 2011. The $5 million project has reduced suicides, said Seattle police Detective Drew Fowler. But it's not a perfect solution.
"If someone's, really, really, really determined, they can still get over the fence," Fowler said. "It just makes it very difficult."
San Diego's Coronado Bridge ranks third in the U.S. for suicides, but like the Skyway, it does not have physical barriers in place.
The Skyway relies on 15 cameras that scan different parts of the bridge at all times, linking the feed directly to the traffic management center in Tampa.
The cameras were recently upgraded, but fewer highway patrol deputies are available to respond to any trouble they may detect.
Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said officers used to monitor the bridge at all times, but no longer.
"We only miss a couple hours a day, and that's a funding issue," Gaskins said. "The current schedule has been consistent for at least three years."
The Skyway once was on the cutting edge of suicide prevention, installing six crisis phones on the bridge in 1999. Tampa's Crisis Center fields calls from those phones and offers suicide-prevention services.
"Tools like call boxes and suicide barriers serve as a last line of defense, but they are not the most effective deterrent to suicide," said Kenneth Gibson, Crisis Center spokesman. "We encourage anyone who is having thoughts of suicide to talk to someone about their feelings."
Gibson said those seeking confidential help can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-8255.
"The Skyway has been an issue for a long time," Gaskins said. "I'm not aware of any changes right now, whatsoever."
(we have been touting the ESR device for quite some time now, yet all we hear about are nets and fences. while we feel nothing would please us more than for this site to be rendered obsolete, we do not understand why the ESR is not at least studied. anyone considering suicide is strongly urged to utilize our help page. more information about the golden gate bridge and it's pending net installation can be found here.)  
. .
01.13.15: suicide threat made, male • from the advisory page
Khanh Minh Nguyen
01.14.15, bradenton.com, Bradenton man reported missing after threatening to commit suicide at Sunshine Skyway
MANATEE -- A Bradenton man was reported missing Tuesday night after reportedly telling his mother that he wanted to commit suicide, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
Khanh Minh Nguyen was reported missing at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after telling his mother he was going to jump from the Sunshine Skyway bridge and sending text messages to his roommate saying he wanted his life to end, deputies said.
Nguyen has not been heard from since, according to a release. Deputies said he is driving his silver 2004 Toyota Camry, Fla. license plate tag 440LIP.
Nguyen is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 135 pounds, with medium length black hair.
 
   Khanh Minh Nguyen
01.15.15, tbo.com, Missing manatee man who threatened suicide found
A 29-year-old Bradenton man who went missing after telling his mother he was going to jump from the Sunshine Skyway on Tuesday has been found, Manatee deputies said.
Khanh Minh Nguyen, of Bradenton, also sent text messages to his roommate saying he wanted to end his life, according to a release from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
No information about Nguyen’s condition was immediately available.
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01.10.15: possible something, 1:54am
01.10.15, Hillsborough Sheriff,  SKYWAY BG, 0154, 0459, 3h05m

any more info is welcome. 
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01.02.15: jumper, 8:23am, male, hit water, died, body found same day
Joey Evan Schlosberg, 44
thank you, jumpnews reporters:
01.02.15, Tom, St. Petersburg, FL., (8:22am, male), 40ish year old male jumped. Bystanders and SPPD called FD. FD still responding. later: 44 year old male. Tan pants and dress shirt. Fire boat still enroute to body in water.

01.02.15, Dave, Bradenton, Fl., (8:40am), Visual. Empty red Accord at top of bridge. Police looking over edge, but too foggy for visual confirmation.

01.02.15, iontb/fbiontb.com, Skyway Bridge: Subject jumped from top of bridge. @stpetepd on scene. Marine units enroute. Drive carefully still foggy on bridge. later: Update 8:45AM. Skyway Bridge: Watch for multiple emergency vehicles atop the NB lanes. Marine units battling fog to locate body of witnessed jumper. 

01.02.15, Bill E., Riverview, (9:25am), HCSO dispatched to skyway, notified by FHP of a jumper. Grid 723s. All typical jumper units dispatched.

01.03.15, unknown, (male, body found), While out boating yesterday we found his body around 3:30

any more info is welcome.
01.02.15, pinellascounty.org, GRID 723S, MEDICAL, R11, D5, PD1, FB11, USCG, FFWC, E11, T11, MCFD (acronyms) 

01.02.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, MISSING PERSONS - ADULT ENDANGERED, SKYWAY  BG, 0923, 1500, 5h37m
01.02.15, Hillsborough Sheriff, DECEASED PERSON, SKYWAY  BG, 1544, 2345, 8h01m

01.05.15, hcso.tampa.fl.us, Bradenton man jumps from Skyway Bridge, Victim: Joey Schlosberg, DOB: 11/14/1970, [address withheld], Bradenton, Details: On January 2, 2015 at 9:23 am Joey Schlosberg parked his vehicle in the westbound emergency lane of the Sunshine Skyway bridge and then jumped over the side. Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office marine unit recovered the deceased man.  (we believe the sheriff's office has the time off by one hour, as we were getting reports before 9am.)
01.02.15, bradenton.com, St. Pete police confirms Skyway jumper
By CLAIRE ARONSON
A St. Petersburg Police Department officer witnessed a person jump from the Sunshine Skyway bridge at 8:23 a.m. Friday, according to St. Petersburg spokesman Mike Puetz.
Puetz said the officer was driving over the bridge when he spotted the individual jumping off the bridge. The person had parked at the top of the bridge.
Witnesses say the jumper was on the northbound side of the bridge. Puetz was unable to say which lanes of the bridge were closed but did confirm that someone jumped from the bridge. The Hillsborough County sheriff's office responded to the scene.
 Joey Evan Schlosberg Joey Evan Schlosberg

obituaryin memoriam
01.02.15, Rory. S., The jumper story about the 44 year old I would appreciate it if you took it down. Its about my uncle. Thanks. (we are sorry for your loss, but why should we remove this post? your uncle did not end his life privately at home. he put on a public horror show that created a massive traffic jam during a foggy morning. it was a newsworthy event lasting several hours, involving perhaps thousands of people using the bridge, and many responders directly involved in his last final act. that's why it was also reported in the newspaper. did you ask them to remove their report? again, we are truly sorry for your loss.)

01.04.15, donna, tampa, fl., your comment to a grieving family member was wrong. i understand your right to post and the incident may have disrupted some drivers. but think of the family he is leaving behind. i think you should have put yourself in their shoes before responding. his children may google this when they get older is that what you would want them to read. (are we to blame for the sorrow the family now endures? now it's our fault? are we to hold back the truth of his public display of self inflicted death, in order to shield people from the facts? what about the newspaper? should we silence them from ever printing anything that may hurt the feelings of anyone that reads their news? we understand your concerns, but the person you should contact about them has made it impossible for you to do so by his own accord. when his children or anyone else searches for information on the events of that day, they will find them here. anyone that does not want this information, is more than welcome to stay away from this website and we ask them to do so. anyone that wishes for their jump news to not be posted on this website, is more than welcome to not jump off the bridge and perhaps find help, or at least a more private method to take themselves out. anyone that wishes to not see their vitriolic words posted on their loved one's jump report, should perhaps keep their nasty comments to themselves. this goes as well for any random whiner, wishing to express their disgust, by posting it on a stranger's jump report.)
01.04.15, donna, tampa, fl., like i said you have a right to report news worthy events along with real reports. but real reports do not use words like horror show. real reporters have compassion for others. obviously he felt he had no other choice. yes we are supposed to have more concern for his family they are the ones left to deal with the grief he left behind. we are human beings. having compassion is one of the things that separates us from animals along with opposable thumbs which u are using to type your garbage. (a real life horror show is exactly what jumpers display to those that witness them slipping over the bridge edge. [read what kim writes below.] it does not get much more real than that. perhaps if real reporters used real life words and real life truth to describe real life events, maybe there would be more trust of real reporters. do you actually want a world dominated by political correctness? don't we already have enough whiners, screaming outrage about everything offending them all the time the way it is? should we champion the 'safe space', where we can hide from words that may hurt our delicate insecurities? finally, we animals tried typing our garbage with our opposable thumbs, but found these index finger things to be much better at spelling out the word 'you', instead of the lazy, under educated 'u'.) yo donna, some guy from jersey wants to say hello to u:

01.05.15, Jace (that is my real name), NYC, email: NFW, Just want to comment to Donna from Tampa regarding Joey Schlosberg. Will you allow that? I see your comment restrictions. I just wanted to thank her compassionate words for a total stranger. Is that okay? I'm not gonna waste my time or the space allowable to remark regarding your horrendous and uncompassionate remarks. I leave you with only one thought. If this was one of your family members, your child, a brother a sister or even a cousin would you be commenting the same way. I'm an expert at slamming back but I'm not going to stoop to your level. I see its a one way street on this site anyway. (why wouldn't we allow your comment? apparently you found our hidden comment restrictions. they are so well hidden, even we can't find what doesn't exist. your opinions have been duly noted and added to our massive 'do not care' list. mind you, we did lose a close cousin to a bridge jump. in his case, an oncoming semi-truck broke his fall. he took himself out like an idiot, over a lost love, to hell with the family. we chat it up elsewhere on this site, but we are dead certain you will spend zero time looking or caring. "but still!", right? feel free to spend as much jacetime as you need. it's early in the year and we have ample space for you to bloviate. if you write enough of your special blend of higher level slammery, we'll give you your very own jacepage, because that's what new friends do for each other. we will call it 'jacebook'. you can even post some soothing and politically correct 'hallmark card' worthy compassion while you're at it. don't be shy, we'll post anything you want, with none of those crazy restrictions we've never had. come on, expert, show us what you gots. not sure why you simply dream up our non-existent rules, but this has been a two-way street since 1998, so get to stoopin'. hello? jacey boy? expert? was it something we said?)

01.06.15, Blair, Trout Creek, Canada - Rory, Donna: People who are listed here on this site made the decision themselves (with exception of one man who was forced at gunpoint in 1981) to end their life jumping from either the existing or previous Skyway Bridge, including Joey Schlosberg. This was the place they chose to spend the last minutes of their lives.
Instead of getting angry and lambasting Phil for an unbiased listing of the event here, it could instead be a lasting, permanent memorial to the person from various family members. I have seen this done for some of the jumper entries, and I believe it is in good taste, and it also acknowledges the concern of "what will kids think when they look at this years from now to read about an aunt, uncle or parent who ended their life at the SSB". Will they see a bunch of hating people with bitter comments on the entry, or instead read about family members stating how great the person was, and how much they will be missed?
Maybe the most important lasting legacy for the people who have jumped from the SSB and died, is it could possibly prevent even one other person from doing the same if they visit this site and realize how much surviving friends and family are hurt by someone's decision to jump. (thanks for the kind words. many do come here to offer their own kind words about the person in their life that did indeed jump from the bridge, instead of ranting about this site, condemning those that run it, insisting we censor the event, and generally filling their loved one's site entry with hate and ugliness. we live in a world where political correctness rules the day. these hypocrites often get into a fierce, politically incorrect mode, in order to force others into their version of a politically correct mode of thinking. people will go to great battle because they do not agree with simple opinion, by lashing out with hate, vitriol, and usually name calling. the hypocrisy is both incredulous and hilarious. for example.)

01.06.15, Kim, Port Charlotte, FL., This is in reply to "Donna". I happened to be driving on the bridge at the exact moment Joey jumped. We saw his car door hanging wide open for the next driver on that foggy day to run into and cause maybe another fatality. Watching him jump has deeply traumatized me, so I can relate to the "horror" description used. So unless you have ever witnessed someone committing suicide, do not judge how someone reports the story. (thanks, kim. we hope you cope with what you were dealt. that had to be very surreal.)

05.12.15, raeann p., he was my brother, I loved him very much, but he had a lot of problems, he will be missed! (we are sorry for your loss.)
 
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