Crime & Safety

Brooklyn Bridge Jumper Identified After Naked Leap Into East River

A bizarre climb, mysterious flags and a dramatic rescue left witnesses stunned.

NEW YORK, NY— A man who climbed the Brooklyn Bridge, stripped naked and jumped into the East River survived the fall and now faces multiple criminal charges, according to New York police.

Police identified the man Monday as Galymzhan Abaildayev, 44, of Brooklyn.

Abaildayev climbed the bridge's north tower on the Manhattan side Sunday before removing his clothes and jumping into the river below, according to authorities.

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Harbor Unit officers pulled Abaildayev from the East River and transported him to Bellevue Hospital, where police said he was in stable condition.

Police charged him with reckless endangerment, making graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.

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Video recorded from the bridge captured onlookers screaming as Abaildayev jumped.

The footage appears to show him holding a piece of clothing or a bag above his head during the fall.

The Brooklyn Bridge's suspension towers rise about 278 feet above the water.

Authorities have not released a motive for Abaildayev's actions.

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