Woman Dangles From Drawbridge in Fort Lauderdale, May Be Charged With Trespassing

On Saturday morning, 55-year-old Wanda Keating McGowan got stuck on a Fort Lauderdale drawbridge that opened while she was crossing it. That bridge over the New River is for trains. She held on for her life and dangled in the air until firefighters arrived with a 24-foot-ladder and rescued her...

By Deirdra Funcheon

October 14, 2013

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On Saturday morning, 55-year-old Wanda Keating McGowan got stuck on a Fort Lauderdale drawbridge that opened while she was crossing it. That bridge over the New River is for trains.

She held on for her life and dangled in the air until firefighters arrived with a 24-foot-ladder and rescued her.

Passersby, of course, filmed the incident and posted the footage online.

Authorities say McGowan had just finished participating in a breast cancer walk nearby. Signs warn pedestrians to keep off the bridge, and witnesses said they thought it was a stunt at first. Sky News quoted McGowan's Facebook page as reading "To all the firemen and police officers. THANK YOU. YOU SAVED MY LIFE. ALL GOOD THINGS TO YOU," she wrote. Her page appears to have been taken down.

Last night, the Sun Sentinel reported that a railroad official thought McGowan was trying to take a shortcut home and that she may be charged with trespassing.

Here's video, via NBC 6:

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