Bridge
Jumping 
Menstuff® has information on
Bridge Jumping - it's been around for
hundreds of years. It first took place in 1664 off the Stari
Most bridge in Mostar, Bosnia and NOT with a bungy cord
attached. Every year on May 1, Oxford scholars gather on the
Magellan Bridge to jump into the Cheerful River.
Is the Rush Worth the Risk?
With the advent of You Tube, bridge jumping has reached trend status as teens film themselves diving from increasingly dangerous heights, posting the heart-stopping videos to You Tube. 'Good Morning America' chronicled the extremely dangerous form of online one-upmanship. Footage shows thrill-seeking teens jumping from bridges and cliffs. "They are incredible jumps from outrageous heights, teens taking death-defying dives, even back-flipping off bridges. All documented and posted to You Tube, creating intense viral peer pressure," said one observer.
"It's primarily just all about feeling a bit of freedom for that moment," explains another. But chasing that rush can be fatal. Nineteen-year-old Wade McCurdy died after taking a 65-foot plunge off a bridge. Another teen heard the wake-up call when she hit the water so hard, the blood vessels in her legs were instantly broken. And a third, a very disturbing video of a young man who's face literally splits in half.
2:00Content Warning. Be forwarned. This is a very graphic video.
Youngsters get new thrills with bridge jumping
Experimenting with risk-taking behavior, whether it's drugs, alcohol or fast cars, is something teens and young adults often do. There's a new danger to add to that list: some are finding a new thrill in the dangerous practice of bridge jumping.
Travel north on highway Y between St. Charles and Lincoln counties, and you'll find a small bridge over the Cuivre River. It's not a heavily trafficked route, only a few cars each day. But during the summer months, the bridge comes to life -- with foot traffic.
The spot is known among teens and young adults as a place to bridge jump.
Marti, 21, used to jump all the time, until her best friend died on a jump right behind her. She asked us not to show her face or use her last name.
Stories like Marti's don't seem to scare jumpers who've never had an accident. NewsChannel 5 cameras spent several days at this bridge shooting this group from a distance, to make sure our presence didn't encourage them. Afterwards, our news crew approached and identified itself. They continued jumping.
Some have had close calls before, like the time it was raining hard. But they said the adrenaline rush keeps them coming back.
When it comes to jumping, the Missouri State Highway Patrol said there is simply no safe cliff or bridge to do it from, and for two important reasons: people usually overestimate their swimming skills, and depth perception is almost always wrong when it comes to water.
But because of the geography of the bi-state, with the bluffs and the rivers, there's always a new place for jumpers to try to get that rush. It was a lesson that cost Marti her best friend last October.
Their spot: about 100 miles south of St. Louis, a small town called Old Appleton. The town's foot bridge runs over a popular swimming hole. Unseasonably warm weather wasn't enough to raise the water's temperature, which was just 34 degrees.
Next in the water was 32-year-old Chris Grindstaff. When Marti finally made it to shore, she saw Chris behind her, treading water. She went back on the bridge to get towels. She looked over the bridge, but could not find Chris.
Neighbors tried to help and police were called, and according to reports, the scene was "reclassified as a recovery mission." Grindstaff's body was pulled from the water a few hours later.
Marti acknowledges the thrill that comes with jumping, but says now the rush isn't worth the risks.
Most citations related to bridge jumping are for
trespassing or holding up traffic. Water patrol officers
said the area simply has too many jumping spots to patrol
them all.
Source: www.ksdk.com/news/article/268588/4/Youngsters-get-new-thrills-with-bridge-jumping
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