Man jumps from Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Saturday night; 3rd incident in a month

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A man jumped to his death from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge on Saturday night, officials said, marking the third time in a month that someone has leaped from the span.

In the latest incident, the person jumped from the Brooklyn-bound lower level around 10:33 p.m., an NYPD spokesman said.

The FDNY said it received a call about a minor crash on the lower level around the same time, according to a department spokesman. It was not immediately clear if the report of the crash was related to the incident.

The Coast Guard dispatched units to the scene, and helicopters with search lights could be seen in the vicinity of the bridge.

The NYPD’s Harbor Unit recovered the body of a Hispanic male a short time later in the waters below, the Coast Guard said.

Police could not immediately identify the individual.

The Staten Island-bound lower level was temporarily closed Saturday night due to police activity, according to the MTA. One lane on the Brooklyn-bound lower level also was blocked.

The incident marks the third time in the past month that someone has fatally leaped from the bridge.

On May 10, a 35-year-old man died when he jumped from the bridge in an apparent suicide. Eleven days later, on May 21, a 36-year-old woman abandoned her vehicle midspan and jumped off the bridge.

Concern over jumpers from the Verrazzano has been an ongoing issue on Staten Island, with officials over the years calling for enhanced measures to prevent suicides.

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