The Ontario man who died in a plunge from the Capilano Suspension Bridge this weekend was trying to retrieve a debit card that had slipped from his pocket, Mounties say.
The 30-year-old St. Catharines man fell to his death Saturday during a visit to the North Vancouver tourist attraction while on vacation with his family. Surveillance video taken in the moments before the tragedy reveals that the man lost his footing while jumping over a 1.2-metre-tall fence to grab the card from a ledge below, according to an RCMP press release.
"This is a most tragic unfortunate accident. The North Vancouver RCMP along with the Capilano Suspension Bridge extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased," Cpl. Richard De Jong said in a written statement.
Police say the footage shows the card falling from the man's pocket as he pulls out his camera while standing against a railing. The man then walks about 30 metres down the pathway, where he jumps the fence, slips and falls about 60 metres to the canyon floor.
Investigators found the victim lying motionless on the river rocks below. His name is being withheld at the request of his family and the case has been turned over to the BC Coroners Service.
The park reopened Sunday morning and counsellors were brought in to help employees cope with the impact of the accident.
