1 Swimmer Dead, Another Missing After Jumping Off 'Jaws Bridge'
By Jason Hall
August 16, 2022
One swimmer has died and another is reported missing after both jumped off the "Jaws Bridge," known for its presence in the 1975 film Jaws, in Martha's Vineyard over the weekend.
Massachusetts State Police initially announced that "two young adult males jumped into the ocean from the 'Jaws Bridge' between Edgartown and Oak Bluffs and did not return," which led to "marine, air and investigative assets and local first responders" conducting a search in the area.
The department later confirmed that the body of one of the victims was recovered and that a search for the second victim was ongoing in a tweet shared Monday (August 15) morning.
The United States Coast Guard Northeast District later announced it suspended its search for the missing swimmer in Martha's Vineyard "pending further developments."
UPDATE 1 - Search units have recovered the body of one of the victims. The search for the second victim is ongoing. https://t.co/jLxqYeICGv
— Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) August 15, 2022
#Update: The @USCG has suspended the search, pending further developments, for the missing swimmer in the vicinity of Jaws Bridge. #SAR #MarthasVineyard
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) August 15, 2022
Video shared by Twitter user @SportsDocKA showed authorities continuing to search for the two individuals in the early hours of Monday morning.
Searching for two individuals in the water by the #jawsbridge #marthasvineyard @TheMVTimes @vineyardgazette 1:47am prayers for their safe rescue .Thankful for the brave and dedicated police, fire and coast guard pic.twitter.com/cNePlmJ13L
— Ken Alleyne MD (@SportsDocKA) August 15, 2022
The two individuals, who have not officially been identified, are reported brothers from Jamaica who were working on the island for the summer, according to the Jamaican Gleaner, a Jamaican news outlet, via the Martha's Vineyard Times
The area is featured in numerous key scenes of the iconic Jaws film, directed by Steven Spielberg, which centers around a man-eating shark attacking the fictional New England community of Amity Island, though the movie was actually filmed in Martha's Vineyard.