Naked man who jumped off Brooklyn Bridge and survived is arrested and charged

U.S. newsNaked man who jumped off Brooklyn Bridge and survived is arrested and chargedThe man climbed to the top of the iconic New York City bridge on Sunday, displayed flags, stripped down and plunged into the East River. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00Galymzhan Abaildayev is seen climbing to the top of New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge on Aug. 2.Julia Hecht / WNBCShareAdd NBC News to GoogleAug. 3, 2026, 11:38 AM EDTBy Doha MadaniA 44-year-old man was arrested after climbing to the top of New York City’s historic Brooklyn Bridge, displaying flags and plunging into the water on Sunday, police said. Galymzhan Abaildayev is facing charges of reckless endangerment, graffiti, public lewdness, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, the New York Police Department said in a statement to NBC News on Monday. It’s unclear whether he has retained an attorney. Police were called to the Brooklyn Bridge on Sunday afternoon after reports that a man was scaling the 143-year-old bridge with a backpack. Abaildayev allegedly stripped down after reaching the top of the bridge’s north tower. He then jumped from the top of the bridge’s tower into the East River, where police said he was rescued by the department’s harbor unit. He was then taken to a city hospital in stable condition. The Brooklyn Bridge has a clearance of 135 feet from the water at its center, according to New York City’s Department of Transportation. The city does not detail the exact height of the towers, but a company that worked on restoration of the bridge noted that the towers are 272-feet tall. Abaildayev had a backpack and two flags with him, according to police. The police department did not provide additional information as to what was on the flags. ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleDoha MadaniI am a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital, covering a range of news-of-the-day topics. My job is to report in a timely manner on crime, mass shootings, war coverage, domestic and internation...