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Oregon Teen Lucky To Be Alive After Being Pushed Off 3-Story Bridge
Jordan Holgerson, 16, said she doesn't even remember falling, but knows the identity of the woman who pushed her.
A Washington State teenager sustained serious injuries after being pushed off a three-story bridge at a regional park on Tuesday, according to multiple reports.
While receiving treatment at PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center on Thursday, Jordan Holgerson, 16, spoke with KATU News about what happened to her at Moulton Falls.
“I went to the top of the bridge and my other — my friend ... she came up to the bridge with me,” Holgerson said, revealing that she initially was planning on jumping after seeing a friend do it. “And so, she was counting down, but I didn’t think anything of it. And I was like, ‘No, don’t count down, like, I won’t go if you count down. I’m not ready.’ And then, she pushed me.”
She added that she doesn’t remember falling, and didn’t initially feel pain due to adrenaline. And although she thought she was swimming back to shore after the plunge, other people noticed she was actually drowning.
“And then an EMT that was off-duty helped me onto the rocks and just a whole bunch of people surrounding me were helping me, calming me down,” she said told KATU News.
The Longview Daily News on Wednesday spoke with the girl’s mother, Genelle Holgerson, who said her daughter is fortunate to be alive.
“We’re lucky she is going to recover and not have permanent injuries,” Holgerson told the Longview Daily News over the phone from the hospital.
According to The Columbian, the Clark County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the incident, but could not comment further on an active investigation.
Additionally, Genelle Holgerson told the Longview Daily News that her daughter knows the identity of the adult woman who pushed her off the bridge. Supposedly the pusher was fed up with Jordan not jumping off the bridge on her own.
“I’m very upset with her. She is an adult, and I’m sure she should have known better,” Genelle Holgerson said. “She could have killed my daughter.”
Trauma surgeon MaryClare Sarff said the teenager was lucky she didn't experience more severe injuries.
"When you fall three times your height, 50 percent of people will die. That's usually about 25 feet," Sarff told a news conference, according to The Oregonian. "When you're falling from [60 feet on water], that's like falling on concrete. She could have broken her neck, she could have been a quadriplegic."
[Photo: Facebook]
