Bridge Day
bridge day annual oneday festival fayetteville fayette county west virginia united state event coordinated new river gorge bridge day commission sponsored numerous company local international significance event held third saturday every october commemorates completion new river gorge bridge day four lane bridge closed automobile opened pedestrian estimate people attending overall event first bridge day held drew crowd roughly held every year since except year cancelled recent event possibility terrorist attack also cancelled due impact ongoing covid pandemic united state army veteran burton ervin considered father bridge day jumped new river gorge bridge august pm spectator attendance plaque bridge commemorating event bridge day day year people allowed base jump bridge new river gorge foot meter one exception general ban base jumping within u national park system people also allowed rappel span bridge day four hundred base jumper participate year festival base jumping community boycotted event three death wingsuit accident bridge day involving base jumper michael glenn williams birmingham alabama drowned gear caught current made successful jump one rescue boat river time busy jumper could make later year one rescue boat always used parachutist allowed jump confirmed one rescue boat available steven gyrsting paoli pennsylvania jumped using gear basespecific gear killed unable open reserve chute time main chute failed deploy festival brian lee schubert died failed deploy parachute time one first base jump el capitan yosemite national park christopher brewer pensacola florida jumped wearing wingsuit survived failing open parachute time fully conscious paralyzed landing new river foot rappelling bottom bridge part bridge day festivity since first confirmed bungee jumper stunt performer skip stanley also known blue bandit leapt bridge bridge day new zealander chris allum bungee jumped ft bridge set world record longest bungee jump fixed structure stopping foot river also gmc jimmy suv dropped bungee commercial chris allum bungee six friend basket setting world record people single bungee jump however considerable amount time required bungee jumper reel back time base jumper allowed jump prompted banning bungee jumping bridge day since sullivan ken ed west virginia encyclopedia west virginia humanity council charleston west virginia new river gorge bridge day bridge day information history archived wayback machine bridge day rappel bridge walk great walking tour bridge