At about 8:30 Monday morning bystanders told a Flagler Beach police officer that they saw a man jump off the north side of the Flagler Beach Bridge, into the Intracoastal Waterway.
The man was identified as John Allan Waugaman, 53, of Marbella Court in Palm Coast. He’d previously lived on South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach. He survived.
Waugaman had had a series of run-in with police in the last year and a half, with a half dozen bookings at the Flagler County jail on charges ranging from drunk driving to assault to minor drug possession and probation violation.
When a Flagler Beach police officer got to a boat ramp at the foot of the bridge he could see Waugaman swimming to shore and calling for help. He was calling out to two men, Briand Schouppe, 47, and Allan Paulley, 43, both of Tobyhanna, Penn. The Palm Coast Observer later identified the two men as visitors in the area who jumped in the water with a kayak the moment they realized Waugaman was in trouble. The men braced Waugaman on the kayak and brought him back to shore as Flagler County Fire Rescue paramedics arrived.
Flagler County Fire Flight, the county’s emergency helicopter, flew Waugaman to Halifax hospital, which has a trauma and psychiatric unit. The police report notes that Waugaman was expected to receive “further physical and mental care.”
The bridge was the site of another failed suicide attempt 13 months ago, when James Clark, 40, jumped off the bridge after leaving his motorcycle parked above. He was also flown to Halifax hospital.
RHWeir says
Wandering thru the Flagler County government websites, this man lives in some very expensive digs and has really been thru the school of hard knocks. I hope he works it out.
D. Kennedy says
Thank you to Flagler Beach Fire dept for jumping in the water and rescuing the man. You guys are great!
findingNemo says
Great thx the to the kayakers but also great job to thecity fire dept for their rescue swimmer going out and bringing the karak and pt to safety.
Great Job Guys
Anonymous says
I hope that this gentleman will get the help that he needs.
Truth Seeker says
Cute, the Flagler Beach Fire Department (D. Kennedy) now apparently has to have their own personnel give their own department kudos. Great job Flagler COUNTY Fire Rescue. Your Advanced Life Support and professionalism surely saved this man and it’s nice to see the agency not needing recognition for doing their job.
Nikia says
Its so sad that something this drastic has to happen for someone to get the help they need. Sometimes these run ins with the law are really cries for help and people just don’t know where to turn. I really wish our society would start having proactive conversations instead of focusing money and energy on the reactive.
Anonymous says
Ummm…D Kennedy…weren’t the two men who jumped in the heroes here???? I didn’t read that fbfd rescued anyone…not that they wouldn’t have….but let’s give the credit where the credit id due!
DKennedy says
The credit is for both departments who jumped in, boarded and flew the man. Its just unfortunate that flagler live never mentions FBFD in good stories.Thanks guys I don’t need credit for anything I just want flagler live readers to know the city department responds to city calls. Good luck to this man I hope things work out for him. And yes I dont have to hide Anonymously behind The Truth.