Bradenton Boat Captain Saves Woman's Life After Skyway Bridge Jump

Update: .

A Bradenton area fishing charter owner, Captain Kris Winkel, is being heralded as a hero for saving a woman's life after she jumped from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Thursday morning.

According to St. Petersburg Fire and Rescue, the woman survived the jump and was pulled from the water by a nearby fisherman around 7 a.m. today.

Bradenton-born Winkel, was nearby and saw the commotion. Winkel drove to the woman and picked her up. According to authorities, the woman was then transported to Bayfront Medical Center where she is currently in stable condition.

In a news release Captain Tim White, Incident Commander for SPFR said that the fishermen, “saved her life.”

Winkel operates his Tailing Tales fishing charter based off of Anna Maria Island and offers charters throughout Bradenton, Sarasota and Tampa Bay.

A Florida Highway Patrol officer drove to the top of the bridge and placed a flare over the woman’s location, according to Lieutenant Joel Granata of St. Petersburg Fire Rescue. The flare helped Winkel locate and rescue the woman. SPFR personnel then treated and transported the victim.

The fact that the woman survived is “unbelievable” Granata said. “She is lucky to be alive,” he added.