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Woman Hospitalized After Jumping From Skyway
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Published: September 28, 2008
A woman who jumped from the center span of the Sunshine Skyway on Sunday afternoon was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard boat and taken to a local hospital with serious injuries, authorities said.
Gina Rue, 43, landed in the water about 100 feet from a Coast Guard boat on routine patrol at 5:14 p.m., St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue Lt. Joel Granata said.
The Coast Guard pulled Rue out of the water and took her to a nearby marina, where she was treated for cuts and back pain, Granata said. Surveillance cameras on the bridge alerted authorities to Rue moments after she leaped, Granata said.
She was taken to Bayfront Medical Center and was listed in serious condition.
A jump from the 197-foot high center span can shatter bones, authorities said. Rue was fortunate that a patrol boat was near because those who survive the fall often drown, Granata said.
"She's going to live," Granata said. "The Coast Guard was in the right place at the right time."
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