Bridge jumper okayIt’s a long way down, and a long float to the bank from the top of this Flint River bridge, if you make it. Bainbridge - As I was crossing the Flint River Bridge at Calhoun Street last Tuesday, I saw some folks on the bridge, but didn't stop, since that's not a good place to stop. As I pulled into the drive at Post Searchlight, everything in town headed for the bridge with blue/ red lights and sirens going.

It's not good manners to scoop a newspaper in another town, especially the one that prints you, so I didn't go. I was asked if I saw the lady jump.

I replied that I didn't see her jump, but I saw her on the rail with folks around her. My pages were already ready for printing, so I didn't stop the presses.

I will say that is a long jump. My cousin, now deceased, Roy Jones Jr., and I made the jump when we were teenagers from the old bridge. We were crazy, too.

The following story appeared the next day on Bainbridge,Ga.com.

A witness to a Tuesday attempted suicide off the Calhoun Street bridge was horrified by the incident, but she did not know of the heroic action of the Bainbridge Marina's Billy Birdsong.

She told us that she saw all the activity on the bridge but didn't know what was going on. She stated that a female was standing and looking over the rail and then looked right at her. Then, she told us, the woman saw a Public Safety Investigator begin to approach the woman. She then climbed onto the concrete rail and jumped.

Billy Birdsong, who operates the Bainbridge Marina, heard on his scanner that there was a jumper on the bridge. As the Sheriff's Office was scrambling to get their boats into the water. Birdsong jumped into a boat and headed for the Calhoun Street bridge.

When Billy Birdsong arrived at the bridge, Sheriff's Medic Wilson along with two EMS personnel jumped into the boat with Birdsong, taking a backboard with them. They began a search of the river for the woman and finally spotted her almost to the Cheney Griffin boat ramps. The two EMT's jumped into the water and got her on the backboard and they pulled her back onto the boat.

She was transported to the hospital with what we understand to be very little injury, thanks to a heroic effort by Billy Birdsong and Sheriff's Deputy Wilson and our EMS.

The witness told us that she was so disturbed by witnessing the event that she went home and went straight to bed. She called BainbridgeGA at about 5:30 am to find out about the victim, not at all expecting to get the good news that the Donalsonville woman was OK.