US Man, 19, Survives 400-Foot Fall From Steel Bridge

A 19-year-old survived a 400-foot fall from a bridge in Washington State over the Memorial Day weekend, according to a report in New York Post. The incident happened on Saturday when the man was trying to walk underneath the High Steel Bridge, one of the tallest railroad bridges in the US. Citing data from Washington Trails Association (WTA), the outlet said that the bridge was built in 1929 by the Simpson Logging Company and converted into a road in the late 1950s.

"He was walking down a washout that a lot of people use, and has kind of become a trail. It's not a trail," West Mason Fire Chief Matthew Welander said.

"It's a washout, it's too steep. And he ended up all the way down at the river, sliding," he added.

Authorities have not released the identity of the man, but said he sustained only minor injuries.

The West Mason Fire Department has posted images on Facebook of the man being rescued by a firefighter with a rope and harness to scale the bridge.

"Hooked him up into a harness and brought him all the way back up," said Welander.

Authorities acknowledged it's a deceptive terrain, but pointed out that people who visit the area do not respect nature.

"We get a lot of practice hauling dead bodies out of here. It's probably a 20-to-1 ratio," said Mr Welander.

He noted rescue teams have to go down into the area around three to five times per year for rescues.

The 685-foot-long truss arch bridge spans the south fork of the Skokomish River in Mason County, rising 365 feet above the river, according to New York Post.