US3 min(s) read
Published 11:25 04 Aug 2026 GMT
A naked man who launched himself 278 feet from the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday, August 2, remarkably survived the should-have-been-fatal fall. The man, identified as Galymzhan Abaildayev, 44, is somehow in a stable condition despite all odds.
Dr. David S. Shapiro, a trauma surgeon of over 30 years, told The New York Post: “Jumping or falling from extreme heights – such as a 270-foot bridge tower – is overwhelmingly fatal.
“It generates extreme kinetic energy that causes widespread, life-threatening trauma.”
Revealing how Abaildayev’s miraculous survival could have been possible, Dr Shapiro, who now works at New England Donor Services, explained that it could have been for a number of physics-defying reasons.
Firstly, the bag that can be seen held above the jumper’s head could have worked as a “makeshift parachute”, reducing the speed he plummeted at, likely between 79-87 mph, just enough to prevent his injuries becoming fatal.
Although there is no evidence of it, another way his life could have been saved is if an object fell into the water moments before Abaildayev did, breaking and softening the surface, reducing the impact of his landing.
However, Dr Shapiro notes that what most likely saved the reckless daredevil was the position he entered the East River in. The expert explained: “If you slap your hand on the water palm down, it makes a big splash … if you hit it vertically like a karate chop you’ll see it slice through the water. The position your body is in when it enters the water makes a big difference.”
Referencing how cliff-divers survive jumping from massive heights, he said: “They don’t head-first dive. If you lock your body in, perfectly straight vertically, you’ll go through the water a lot easier.”
Describing typical injuries sustained upon impact after falling, Shapiro said trauma centers refer to injuries suffered by people who fall from a height as “deceleration” injuries. This is because their body is thrown at a surface and rapidly goes from a high speed to 0 mph.
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He added: “I’d expect things like internal injuries – particularly what we call lacerations — of the spleen and liver – as well as skeletal, joint or bone injuries. If you land on your feet, your heel bone, one of the highest-impact bones in your body, it can cause a complex ankle fracture on both sides.
“’Vertical injuries'– where someone lands directly on their feet or head – can cause a variety of trauma, including burst fractures of the spine and at the base of the skull, injuring both the brain and spinal cord.
“People in this setting can die from the impact, drowning, and injuries that may not seem immediately lethal but result in significant bleeding, brain trauma, and other injuries that together are enough to cause death in most.”
While Abaildayev was quickly rescued and rushed to Bellevue Hospital in a stable condition, he could still succumb to his injuries. He has also been charged with reckless endangerment, making graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct, police announced Monday.
