Man severely injured after jumping off Woods Creek Bridge

A man who jumped off the Woods Creek Bridge — falling about 25 feet — on Tuesday was found alive and severely injured five hours later.

The man told emergency responders he had been attempting to commit suicide, said Fire District 7 public information officer Heather Chadwick. The site was close to Old Owen Road, east of Monroe.

He had excessive injuries, Chadwick said, and could not walk away on his own. He had been calling for help for hours.

People in neighboring residences finally heard him. The callers were not sure what was going on, and reported only that they heard a man yelling, she said.

“It came across as just a basic call, and then was upgraded to a technical rescue,” Chadwick said.

The call came in around 7:56 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, and responders arrived shortly after.

The man was found to have fallen between, but not on top of, some rocks, which likely made the difference in the severity of his injuries, Chadwick said. The height is definitely enough that a fall could kill someone. Depending on how a body is positioned — especially one's head — and where someone lands, can determine if a fall will be fatal, she said.

Emergency responders had to clear brush to make a pathway down to the man, Chadwick said. Ropes were used to haul him back up to the road, and he was secured on a backboard. He was then transported to Providence Medical Care Center in Everett.

Suicide is the ninth-leading cause of death in Snohomish County, according to the Snohomish Health District. It accounts for 29 percent of injury deaths, which are the third-leading cause of death in the county.

Women in Snohomish County are more likely to attempt suicide, but men are more likely to succeed, because they more often use firearms, according to the agency. Suicide rates increase with age. Men older than 65 most often commit suicide.

“The county’s suicide rate — 14.6 per 100,000 — was much higher than the Healthy People 2020 goal of 10.2 suicides per 100,000,” according to the agency.