Dec. 23, 2022 Boise firefighters treated two men after a person jumped off Baybrook Bridge and struck their raft.
By Shaun Goodwin Source The Idaho Statesman (TNS) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
In early August, a group of rafters was floating down the busy Boise River when a person jumped off an overhanging bridge and landed on the back end of a raft.
The individual was performing a back flip off the Baybrook Bridge near Parkcenter Boulevard when he crashed into the raft, injuring an adult male and his son.
The incident hospitalized the two individuals, who were pulled from the river by nearby Boise Fire Department members. The first responders did not get the name of the male who jumped from the bridge and then left the scene, however.
The victims now have filed a tort claim against the city of Boise and the Fire Department, seeking in excess of $100,000. Tort claims in Idaho are necessary precursors to litigation and give involved agencies 90 days from the date filed to accept or deny the claim. If a claim is denied or not responded to, the claimant may sue.
Jay Alcala suffered a serious injury to his head and one knee, and has mental and emotional trauma, according to the claim. He has undergone medical treatment for his injuries and likely will require further surgery and treatment on the injured knee, the claim says.
Alcala’s son suffered bone bruising and emotional trauma, according to the claim, and Alcala’s fiancée, Machelle Siegel, observed the incident and suffered from emotional distress.
The claim, filed on Dec. 16 and obtained by the Idaho Statesman, is asking for more than $100,000 for the cost of medical treatment, alleged negligence on the part of the Boise Fire Department for not obtaining the jumper’s name, and potential violations of federal or state law.
What happened?
On Aug. 6, Alcala, his son and Siegel were sitting on the back end of a large raft while floating the river, according to a video capturing the incident.
As the float passed beneath the Baybrook Bridge — also known as the Red Bridge by many — a male jumper “negligently did a back flip off the bridge without first looking to see if it was safe to do so and landed on the raft,” according to the claim.
The jump was illegal, according to Boise City Code, which states that it is against the law to “jump from, throw or drop any object, including a person, from any bridge, tree or other landscape features into the Boise River within fifty feet of any boater, floater, rafter or tuber.”
Punishment for breaking the city code carries a maximum $100 penalty.
Boise Fire Engine Three was patrolling the river from a nearby bank on a busy summer Saturday, according to previous Statesman reporting, and one of the firefighters used a rescue bag to pull one of the victims to shore. The tort claim names three Boise Fire Department first responders.
Siegel asked the firefighters to obtain the name and identification of the male who jumped from the bridge, according to the claim. The firefighters advised her to stay and care for the two victims and promised they would identify the jumper, but they ultimately were unable to, the claim says.
Because firefighters could not identify the jumper, Alcala and Siegel were unable to pursue him for damages, and the tort claim states that’s why they are taking action against the city.