Jump for joy! It’s Bridge Day into the New River!

Saturday, Oct. 17 is Bridge Day over the New River in Fayetteville.

It began 1980. Three jumpers have died:

In 1983, Michael Glenn Williams from Birmingham, Alabama, drowned when his gear was caught in the current after he made a successful jump and the one rescue boat didn’t reach him in time because it was busy rescuing other jumpers.

In 1987, Steven Gyrsting of Paoli, Pennsylvania, jumped using gear that was not BASE-specific gear and was killed after he was unable to open his reserve chute in time when his main chute failed to deploy.

In 2006, Brian Lee Schubert died when he failed to deploy his parachute in time.  In 1966, he had been one of the first to BASE jump from El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

The event, on the third Saturday of October, commemorates the 1977 completion of the New River Gorge Bridge. All four lanes of the bridge are closed to automobiles and opened to pedestrians. 100,000 people attend. The first Bridge Day drew 40,000.

After Friday drinking at Whiskey 7 at the Beckley Raleigh County Memorial Airport and food at a taste of Bridge Day at Smokey's on the Gorge, the Saturday schedule:

10-11:30 a.m. & 1:30 p.m.  - South End of Bridge: XPOGO Stunt Show

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. - Car Show, Laurel Creek Road

11 a.m. & 2 p.m. - On the Bridge: whiskey 7 Plane & the All Veterans Parachute Team

2 p.m. to 6 p.m. - Chili Cook-off in Fayetteville