Calif. teen survives plunge off Golden Gate Bridge

AP/WorldMag ^ | Mar 10, 11:13 PM EST

[quantim]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A California high school student visiting the Golden Gate Bridge on a Thursday morning field trip climbed over a railing, jumped - possibly on a dare by fellow classmates - and somehow survived the 220-foot plunge into San Francisco Bay that kills dozens of people each year.

Most jumpers die a grisly death, with massive internal injuries, broken bones and skull fractures. Some die from internal bleeding, while others drown.

But the 17-year-old lived, suffering just a broken tailbone and torn lung. He was rescued by a surfer who paddled over and took him ashore, California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Rardin said.

[headstamp 2]

“A broken tail bone?”

Yes, they pulled it out of his mouth when they reached shore.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

“A broken tail bone?”

Yeah. You’d be surprised. I’ve done some cliff diving, or rather cliff jumping, and when you hit the water it’s like a power enema. Sorry for the graphic.

[quantim]

You are probably getting ready for tornadoes as a preface to hurricanes, but it’s snowing up here. Rest easy friend.

It will all average out. ;-)

[NautiNurse]

LOL—had to bundle up tonight for a Spring Training baseball game. Unseasonably chilly weather. Golf tomorrow. Cheers!

[AnotherUnixGeek]

A California high school student visiting the Golden Gate Bridge on a Thursday morning field trip climbed over a railing, jumped - possibly on a dare by fellow classmates

If so, the kid's a fool who should be monitored carefully for the rest of his childhood so he doesn't play on the freeway or climb into the tiger enclosure at the zoo. And if his classmates really dared him to do this, they're malicious idiots who don't mind seeing someone die to get their Beavis-and-Butthead giggles.

[Persevero]

“Praise be, I’m not sure he deserved to survive.”

He is 17, cut him some slack.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

He probably landed head first and no vital organs were damaged.

[AZLiberty]

This is a field trip chaperone’s nightmare.

[TalBlack]

When I was in my twenties I was walking across the Bklyn Bridge. I KNEW people had been killed jumping from the span yet it looked eminently doable to me.Who knows, at 17 I might have tried it.

[Erasmus]

That’s a neat pic. Do you have any technical data on it? It looks like a HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo.

[battousai]

Yeah I was just googling for a suitable picture and came across it, here is the original photographer's Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wunderlich/3668390187/

Indeed it does appear to be an HDR shot but not much more info, been playing around a little bit with HDR myself, but haven't had the time to delve more :)

[bkepley]

There’s an incredible documentary about people committing suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge. Recommend you find it if you haven’t seen it.