US man floating on inner tube in river suffers broken legs when bridge jumper lands on him

MISSOULA, Mont. – A man floating on an inner tube suffered broken bones in his legs and torn ligaments in his knees when another man jumped from a bridge and landed in his lap.

Andy Hill and his wife were floating under a bridge on the Clark Fork River near East Missoula on Sunday when the man landed on him, KECI-TV reported.

“Suddenly I had intense pain and was under water,” Hill said.

“There was a guy on my lap and he rolled off my lap and he just kept apologizing saying ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’” Hill said.

The man swam Hill to shore, still on the inner tube, and the man’s friend helped Hill as well.

Hill suffered broken bones in both lower legs and a cracked femur in his left leg and will likely spend the rest of the summer in a wheelchair or on crutches.

But he’s been able to keep his sense of humour.

“Who does this happen to?” asked Hill, laughing. “I don’t know of anybody this has ever happened to.”

Missoula County authorities say the man who jumped could be charged.

___

Information from: KECI-TV, http://www.keci.com