MIAMI (WSVN) - A man who had been sleeping on a drawbridge in Downtown Miami found himself clinging for his life after it opened for a passing boat.
Cellphone video captured the man as he held onto the side of the South Miami Avenue bridge as it went up over the Miami River, early Tuesday morning.
Witness Khadijah Andrews said the man had fallen asleep on the bridge, and that’s when it started to rise up for the boat underneath.
“By the time I hit Brickell City Centre, I could start hearing the bells, so I turned around and something made me think of the guy,” said Andrews. “I was like, ‘Did he get off? Where is he?’ And I realized I never saw him get up and walk away.”
Andrews said the man had woken up after sliding down and grabbed the side of the bridge, holding on for dear life.
She said she started to yell at the bridge tender, who apparently did not see the man.
“We were screaming. We were saying a few choice words,” said Andrews. “We were just trying to do everything to get his attention. Our hands were up in the air, but he just did not see us.”
For Andrews, this wasn’t her first close call on the downtown bridges.
“So, I was running, and I guess the guy didn’t see me,” said Andrews. “I got stuck on the bridge and I ended up having to sprint and run over the arm guard.”
Fortunately for Andrews, she was able to walk away safely, as did the man in this case.
The subject eventually ended up riding the bridge back down to safety and walked away.
The man did not appear to have any injuries.
“It is completely terrifying. You think you are about to watch a man lose his life,” said Andrews. “You have no way to help. It’s just terrifying. I never want to see that again.”
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