A MAN WHO decided to climb Dublin’s Samuel Beckett Bridge is coming in for criticism today. One Twitter user said the attempt was a “crazy” thing to do and another said the man was risking his life.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard issued a warning to people planning water activities today – and said anyone planning to use bridges or other structures to enter the water was “jumping into the unknown”.
Photographer Conor McCabe captured the moment last night, as he was finishing up a job along the IFSC area of the city.
It happened at about 9.20pm, he said. The man had climbed to the top of the Santiago Calatrava-designed bridge. Conor’s shot captured him on his way down, balancing on one of the structure’s cable stays for support as he clung on to another above his head.
The man, who looked like he was aged in his 20s, left the scene shortly afterwards.
While there had been large crowds in the area earlier in the day for the Dublin Port Riverfest, there weren’t many people around at the time, the photographer said.
Not many people saw it.
A security guard he spoke to said another man had also climbed the bridge, just before Conor trained his lens on the scene.
The man would have fallen straight onto the roadway below if he had lost his balance – as the shot below of the bridge in its ‘open’ position demonstrates…
Warning to swimmers
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, a spokesperson for the Irish Coast Guard said anyone planning water activities today should take the appropriate precautions.
He also warned against using bridges, walls or other structures to jump into the water.
“We would discourage that completely. It happens every summer. People can sustain spinal injuries either due to impact with the water, because the water levels are lower than they expected, or because they hit a rock or other unexpected object.
“We always strongly urge against this sort of activity.
Swimmers are literally jumping into the unknown.
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