DULUTH, GA -- The National Park Service says it’s exploring was to make Settles Bridge safer, following the deaths of two young men over the past three weeks. The men died after jumping from the bridge into the Chattahoochee River.
Settles Bridge is a 98-year-old steel relic that crosses the Chattahoochee River from Gwinnett to Forsyth County. It stopped carrying traffic a half century ago, but remains irresistible to thrill seekers who want to tightrope walk toward its center – then plunge into the water three stories below.
"I would (describe it as) very dangerous if you jump off it. Which we have a problem with," said Bill Cox, the National Park Service superintendent responsible for the bridge.
He says the federal government – and Gwinnett County – have combined to enforce laws against climbing on the bridge --- issuing 47 citations or warnings in the last thirty days; posting new signs warning against it; and increasing patrols and collaborating on ways to further limit access to the bridge – in light of the two deaths there since the end of July.
Jumping from Settles Bridge can have deadly consequences. Please help share this important message. pic.twitter.com/he2RnEv2k2
— Gwinnett Police Dept (@GwinnettPd) August 18, 2017
Cox expects authorities to come up with a plan to "modify the access so that people can’t get out on the structure itself and jump off. That’s really what we’re trying to control."
Friday the Gwinnett Medical Examiner's office identified Tuesday's victim as 20-year-old Joshua Katikala of Cumming. Authorities said he died after jumping from Settles Bridge. 17-year-old Perez Tamfu died after jumping from the bridge in July.
"They’ve been jumping off the bridge as long as I can remember," Cox said, adding that this summer marks the first time in his memory that people have died jumping from Settles Bridge.
"There is an element of personal responsibility," Cox said. "If you do risky things on the river, the river’s a not a place to be taken lightly. The river has to be respected."
Cox says removing the structure hasn’t been discussed. He’s hopeful it won’t come to that.
