That's wild. I assume it was on Bridge Day. I may have been there. What year was it? It's not the safest thing in the world. A few have died jumping on Bridge Day. One guy even lived, don't ask me how.
It was before they had Bridge Day, back in 1989 or 1990. It was open for jumping all the time, IIRC. Either that or I got very lucky the time we made the journey from Dover. I first heard about someone being killed off the bridge a couple of years later and that they were shutting the bridge down, etc. Jumping it may not have been the smartest thing I've ever done. Long story short, but I had a fellow thrill seeking friend who was a great skiier, and I didn't have the time or the money or the inclination to ski 10-15 times a year to get good enough to go down challenging slopes. And he felt the same about sky-diving. So bungee jumping was a middle ground for us. But it was too much.... We spent the afternoon slow inner tubing the river to try to recover.
Wow. Most compelling thing I've seen in a while. Everyone's already watched it two or three times as it's going around the office... Though I have to say, I'd sooner bungee jump the New River Gorge Bridge again, with half the bungee cords, than have walked on that bridge to rescue the dog. And the good doctor must have had a death wish, the way he was just sauntering back.
I vividly remember being shown a video about that in a middle school math class, although I can't remember at all what the teachers intent was... maybe double check your calculations or else a puppy dies.
my dad had that on 8mm when i was a kid (he was from washington) and i probably watched it 6-8 times a year in those days. edit: not meaning to imply he shot the footage, it was a bought film.
Amazing how the wind and an under design of the structure led to flutter and the collapse of the bridge.
Found an interesting article on the bridge and its deficiencies http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/TNBhistory/Connections/connections3.htm Some of the workers costructing the bridge had to take precautions against seasickness.
I've long wanted to go up to Redding to see the Sundial Bridge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundial_Bridge_at_Turtle_Bay Apparently Redding, California sucks as a city, though.
This is my favorite bridge that I get to see on a regular basis: The C & D Canal Bridge, replacing the old St George's Bridge in St George's Delaware:
This is I-295 on the James River in VA. It's not great overall but is probably the best on the I-95 corridor between NYC & central Florida.
I like the Sydney Harbour Bridge too but they cribbed the design from NYC's Hell Gate Bridge which was finished seven years earlier.