Man who jumped naked from Brooklyn Bridge identified, charged after surviving 278-foot plunge
Police in New York have identified the man who leaped naked from the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday and somehow survived the fall into the East
Police in New York have identified the man who leaped naked from the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday and somehow survived the fall into the East River. The 44-year-old, Galymzhan Abaildayev, is now facing multiple charges after the stunt sent shocked onlookers screaming along one of the city’s best-known crossings.
Abaildayev climbed the bridge’s north tower on the Manhattan side, removed his clothes and jumped after what sources said was a short confrontation with police and emergency responders who tried to talk him down. He landed in the river and was pulled out quickly by Harbor Unit officers. By Monday, police said he was in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital.
Flags on the span
Before the leap, Abaildayev had placed several flags atop the bridge, including a Kazakhstan flag, according to sources. One flag was described as a blanket with writing on it, though it was not immediately clear what the message said.
Video from the scene spread fast online, showing the man apparently holding a piece of clothing or a bag above his head as he fell. Witnesses shouted as he dropped from the bridge’s north tower, which rises about 278 feet above the water. The incident unfolded around 2:30 p.m. Sunday, a busy time on the span.
Why he lived
His survival is rare. Dr. David S. Shapiro, a trauma surgeon with more than 30 years of experience, told The Post that jumps or falls from that height are “overwhelmingly fatal.” He said the impact creates extreme kinetic energy and severe trauma, though a number of variables can affect the outcome.
One possible factor, according to Shapiro, was the object Abaildayev appeared to hold during the fall. It may have acted like a makeshift parachute and slowed him just enough before he hit the water. The exact body position at impact may also have mattered. Even then, Shapiro said the speed would likely have been brutal.
Charges after rescue
Police said Abaildayev has been charged with reckless endangerment, making graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct. The bridge, a landmark connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn, remained at the center of a fast-moving police response as officers secured the scene and recovered the man from the river.
The case has drawn attention well beyond New York, in part because survival from a fall off the span is so unusual. For now, Abaildayev remains under hospital care. Police have not said what prompted the climb or the jump.
