Local News
Bridge jumper search halted
By Sherry Koonce
The Orange Leader
Rescue efforts to find the body of a man believed drowned after he jumped off the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge Friday have been halted.
The body has not yet been recovered, and the victim’s name has not been released, according to Katie Hunt, investigations secretary with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Hunt said she did not know when or if the search would resume. Efforts to recover the body stopped around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Numerous agencies were involved in the search including the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, the Port Arthur Fire Department, Bridge City Fire and Rescue, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The search began on New Year’s Day after a witness reported seeing a man drive to the top of the bridge and dive off at about 10:30 a.m. It appeared the man survived the fall when he started floundering in the water and calling for help, according to earlier statements provided by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
Shortly after he jumped, the man went under and has not been seen since, the sheriff’s office reported.
Chad Hogan, a sergeant with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, said the victim’s van was registered to a Marble Falls man, and that the van was filled with construction tools.
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