Dangerous plunge

P.E.I. man injured after accidentally bridge-jumping into a boat

An Island man was taken to hospital Saturday after jumping off the well-known bridge in the community and landing in a boat passing underneath.

The bridge is a popular place for locals and tourists to jump from the structure into the waterway beneath. It’s also adjacent to a busy fishing and aquaculture port and a recently expanded pleasure craft marina.

New London Fire Chief Allen Cole said it was a pleasure craft that the man, whom he described as middle-aged, landed on. The vessel was going under the bridge from the direction behind the jumper.

“It could have been much worse,” said Cole.

“Both feet hit the boat, but one took more damage than the other.”

The man was in a lot of pain but was alert as first responders worked on him. He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown by ambulance.

Cole said that despite the popularity of the bridge as a jumping spot, this was actually the first time he can recall ever responding to an injury there.

He also cautioned that the area is becoming busier in terms of boat traffic, and anyone who decides to swim or bridge jump should use extra caution.

People were talking about the incident at the bridge on Monday.

In the hot sun of late morning, a group of more than 20 people ranging from middle-aged to pre-teen were having a great time jumping and flipping into the water.

Anthony Francis of Halifax said he had heard about Saturday’s incident from a group who had been jumping earlier in the morning.

He said he and his family come to P.E.I. every summer and always spend at least one day jumping from the Bridge. He does not foresee that changing, even with what happened on Saturday.

They always come as a group, and some of them always stay below to spot for boats or other hazards, so the risk is minimal, he said.

Plus, the kids love it, he added, and the parents certainly don’t mind occasionally joining in the fun, too.

“This is one of the last free fun things that you can do here.”

“It could have been much worse. Both feet hit the boat, but one took more damage than the other.”

New London Fire Chief Allen Cole

COLIN MACLEAN/JOURNAL PIONEER Kids and adults take the plunge in the community of Stanley Bridge Monday morning. A man doing the same thing on Saturday had the bad luck of jumping just as a boat was passing under the bridge. He landed in the vessel and injured his legs.