Man survives Skyway leap, is rescued by fishermen

ST. PETERSBURG — A man who apparently jumped from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was pulled from the water alive but seriously injured Friday morning. Three men fishing underneath the span came to the rescue, St. Petersburg Fire Rescue authorities said.

The man, who is described as a white male in his 30s, was transported to Bayfront Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, according to information from Fire Rescue spokesman Lt. Joel Granata.

Witnesses said the man parked a Ford F-150 pickup near the top of the northbound span around 9:47 a.m. and jumped. It is unclear whether the fishermen aboard the 18-foot center-console vessel saw the man fall or heard a splash, Granata said. They told rescuers only that the man was bleeding when they pulled him aboard.

A search-and-rescue boat from Eckerd College was first to reach the fishermen, who were told to maintain position until authorities arrived.

The identity of the victim has not been released. The identities of the fishermen were not immediately available.