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A little wore from the walk we decide to return to Therapy and plan to relax and watch a movie. And this is where I began the story - with a splash. Someone had jumped from the bridge. And this isn't just a little puddle jump as the deck is about 85' off the water! As I watch I see there is movement in the water and am a little relieved because the person is conscious. But the next question is does he know how or is he able to swim. As I am preparing to get wet (three summers as a teenage lifeguard) I am watching both him and the barge. I am just about to have Vickie to get the throwable cushion out of the boat to take with me when the tow's engines drops to an idle - he must have realized what was going on. And now the jumper seeming to gather his wits and has rolled over and is very slowly backstroking towards us. I stay on the dock and watch.
After a very long several minuets he reaches us and exhaustedly tries to grab on. It is a concrete floating platform with its top sitting almost three feet off the water. There is no way from him to climb out and we can see his body shivering in the 63-degree water. We ask is he is injured and he says no but his chest does hurt a lot. He then asked if we could help get him out of the water. Vickie and I lie down on the dock and reach under his arms and manage to pull him up. We again ask if he is hurt and wants medical help as we can see he is spitting out a little blood. He says no but again complains about his chest and asked just to lie there for a few minutes.
It was not until then I had a moment to realize what a spectacle we had become. The tow captain must to have wanted a better view as he has us lit up with his huge spotlight. From one side there are groups of people looking down from the bridge as well as from the raised General Jackson dock to the other side. No one saying much but intently watching. I notice a group of about 3 or 4 young males near the spot where our friend began his quick decent to the water but they just stayed put.
As we conversed a little more with the 20ish young man it became apparent he wasn't just disoriented but quite intoxicated. Finally, he was able to rise to his feet and although shaky could stand. I ask if he wanted me to call for medical help and he said no and added that he thought he better leave. I replied that probably wasn't a bad idea unless he wanted to chat with the police about his little endeavor. He started up the gangplank but then turned to ask if he could borrow a couple bucks - "I really need a drink," he added. Normally I wouldn't have complied but I thought, "Yea, I bet he does!"
As I handed him $5 we could hear the emergency vehicles coming. He headed up the ramp but four squad cars with lights and sirens screaming rolled up and cut off his escape. Some of the officers grabbed him and another came on down to the dock to question us. Their main concern was how many people were in the water as they had a report of two jumping. We offered that we had seen only one in the water. And after asking us again the policewoman walked back to join the group now questioning the young man. I glanced up at the bridge and the friends were nowhere in sight.
After the initial excitement and as we are watching the police talk with our young friend the one thought kept running through my mind. I had finally convinced Vickie to take a trip with me and she ends up lit by a spotlight with a hundred people watching while helping pull a drunk bridge jumper from the water and then gets to be questioned by the police. Do I know how to show a girl a good time or what! But then again, not exactly what I had planned and I am wondering if she will ever go again?
Finally, the police departed but then it began to rain and we retreat to the shelter of the berth. We watched the movie and retired from our eventful day. We again both slept well even though it rained off and on during the night. But then the morning brought a completely different weather scenario.
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As we returned
to downtown we had walked about two miles but even with her dress shoes
Vickie wanted to continue on to the Shelby St Bridge for a view of the
city at night. While on the bridge we were treated to watching the 300 ft
paddlewheel boat, the 
After talking to him
for about 10 minutes we noticed they had him in cuffs as another policeman
came down to talk to us and get a witness statement.