ST. PETERSBURG — The Coast Guard called off its search early Saturday afternoon for an unidentified 19-year-old man they believe jumped or fell off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

The Coast Guard using several marine units and a helicopter began the search shortly after emergency dispatchers received the sign at about 3:50 a.m. The search was suspended at about 1:30 p.m.

The cirumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. While one Coast Guard spokeswoman said they have confirmed the man jumped, others within the Coast Guard said

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office is investigating and could not immediately be reached to comment.

The man jumped or fell from the northbound lanes of the bridge at a point where it is up to 75 feet high. The span is nearly 200 feet at its highest.

Traffic is flowing normally on the bridge and was not hampered by the search and exploration.

– Staff writer Bill Levesque

Original post by Times staff