Man Jumps To Death From New River Gorge Bridge

On the morning of Tuesday, January 22nd, an off-duty West Virginia Division of Natural Resources officer driving south across the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge came upon a vehicle pulled over against the guardrail on the northbound side of the bridge. As he approached it, he saw a man quickly get out, walk around to the front of the vehicle, step onto the front tire and up onto the rail, then jump without a moment’s hesitation. The officer called 911 and rangers and county deputies responded. The man’s body was found on the bank of the New River. Evidence at the scene and in the vehicle revealed that he was a 35-year-old man from South Charleston, West Virginia. FTEP ranger Kathy Spengler (from Katmai NP) is assisting the Fayette County Sheriff's Office with the follow-up investigation.