26 year old Jimmy Ivan Jennings was given warnings for criminal trespassing and criminal mischief after jumping 100ft into an alligator-infested river in Louisiana. Jennings had been sitting in a traffic jam for over two hours and decided to execute the jump to pass the time; an incident that was caught on camera, and later shared on Facebook, by his friend, Khory Vaughn.
The video is captioned with the slogan “WTF did I just witness” alerting Vaughn’s followers to the obscure incident, causing the video to go viral. Jennings later went on to add that his decision to abandon the traffic jam by jumping off the bridge was “the stupidest idea”.
The incident occurred at the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge near the river on the I-10 in Louisiana. Jennings was unaware that the river was infested with alligators and struggled to battle the currents in the water. It was only after he performed the jump that he realised the severity of his actions. Jennings spent three hours in the water waiting for rescue services and ultimately had to maroon himself on an island before he could reach the mainland and find assistance.
When questioned after his rescue, Jennings added “I was just high on life. Everything was going my way and I’ve seen people do it before only I remembered after I jumped that was in movies”; this comment has subsequently been shared on Facebook.
Jennings stated that “once he hit the water, [his] mouth busted open and [he] hurt [his] left arm”, when detailing his injuries incurred by the jump. Although paramedics were called to the scene to monitor Jennings health, he also added that “offices [came] behind [him] with their guns”, asking him to put his hands up, so they could handcuff him, highlighting the severity of his rash decision to the public.
After speaking with The New York Daily News, he stated that the rush of emotions was “hectic” whilst also adding that he was lucky to be alive. “I started going under and almost drowned a few times. I really thought it was the end of my time. I asked God for forgiveness. I forgave everyone in my life. It was hectic”.
When questioned about the incident he added, “We were bored inside the truck…I looked down at the water, and it didn’t seem too far. As soon as my fingertips came off that side, I was like, “Oh my god this was the stupidest idea.” Jimmy’s friend, Vaughan, informed WBRS of his confusion regarding the incident claiming that although they are “familiar with the water and the area”, he believes that Jimmy was “not prepared for what came with [the jump]”.
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