Man dies at Gatlinburg's SkyBridge in apparent death by suicide
A man who climbed over a locked gate and barrier died after, officials say, he jumped from Gatlinburg's SkyBridge on Saturday night.
The visitor was at Gatlinburg SkyLift Park, which had closed for the night, when a witness said he jumped from from the 700-foot-long pedestrian suspension bridge that spans a forested valley.
Gatlinburg police officers responded to the scene and investigated the incident, later releasing a statement that deemed the man's death an apparent suicide.
“Our first concern is with the family of the deceased, as well as the park’s team members,” said Randy Watson, general manager of Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. “This is a terrible tragedy. We have made counseling available to our staff.”
After clearance from the Gatlinburg Police Department, the park resumed normal operations Monday morning, Watson said in a press release.
This is the second suicide in less than a month at a Gatlinburg attraction. On July 28, a woman jumped from a chairlift at Anakeesta, a popular mountaintop attraction.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Gatlinburg's SkyBridge the site of man's apparent death by suicide
