Bridge Jumper Arrested

The U.S. Coast Guard pulled a West Ashley man out of the Ashley River Wednesday morning after he jumped off the Westmoreland Bridge on I-526, according to a Charleston Police Department report.

An officer approached Corey Lee Wyland, 31, of 1670 Pierpont Ave., at 8:10 a.m. Wednesday on the Westmoreland Bridge where Wyland's white Ford truck had stalled, the report stated. Police had received a 911 call about Wyland's stalled vehicle in which the caller expresssed concern that the motorist may be planning to jump from the bridge, the report stated.

Wyland told the officer his truck had run out of gas and he was waiting for his wife to bring him some. During the incident, according to the report, a Charleston Police investigator was serving a search warrant on Wyland's home, accompanied by detectives from the Mount Pleasant Police Department. The Mount Pleasant PD had also issued an arrest warrant on Wyland for grand larceny.

Wyland remained on the bridge deck near his truck while that information was relayed to the officer at the Westmoreland Bridge, and then jumped off of the bridge before the officer could detain him, the report stated. The officer noted that Wyland appeared to be conscious and alert after hitting the water and was swimming away with the current in the river.

A boat launched from the marina at the foot of the bridge pulled Wyland from the water soon afterwards. Wyland was taken to MUSC for evaluation and then turned over to Mount Pleasant Police custody, according to the report.