Man who dove into 'central void' of 9/11 memorial charged with criminal mischief
Shocking video footage has captured the terrifying moment a man slid into the 20ft 'central void' of the 9/11 reflecting pool memorial in New York City after he threw himself 30ft into the basin.
The man, who was identified as Jeffrey Hernandez, 33, lay facedown by the edge of the abyss, peering over. He then slid himself forward, falling headfirst down to the bottom of the void on Monday afternoon, October 9.
He had already sustained an injury after he hurled himself 30ft into the basin of the memorial in front of horrified onlookers. Disturbing video footage of the bizarre event shows the man with a gash on his head which is filling the water with blood. He was taken to the hospital with a leg injury and treated.
An NYPD detective confirmed that after Hernandez was treated, he was then arrested. Hernandez, a New Yorker living on Pearl Street in Manhattan, was charged with criminal mischief.
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Onlookers screamed as the man slid into the void (ImJohn_313/Twitter)
Chilling footage captured the moment the man slid into the abyss (ImJohn_313/Twitter)Crews from the New York Fire Department rushed to rescue the man from the bottom of the central drop. It's been reported he told one of the officers he "did this for his father".
The area was closed off while crews worked to rescue the man, who was rushed to hospital. He was complaining of "back pain" and suffering from an injured leg. The area reopened a short time after.
Authorities were called at around 1.30pm on Monday with reports of a "jumper in the fountain". One person, believed to be the man who jumped, was transported to Bellevue Hospital, following a mental evaluation he could face trespassing charges.
The two reflecting pools mark the exact place of the World Trade Center and stand as a permanent place of remembrance. Both pools commemorate the names of nearly 3,000 killed in the attacks in 2001 and the World Trade Center bombing of February 26, 1993.
The Freedom Tower in New York and the reflection pools next to it (Getty Images)They each feature a 30-foot waterfall, with the water dropping into a basin around an acre in size that then flows into a smaller opening in the centre, which drops another 20 feet. The man can be seen in the footage lying down in the 18-inch deep waters in the pool's central basin, peering over the opening in the middle as onlookers shout in terror before a collective scream is heard from those who witnessed the man slide into the abyss.
It's not clear whether an incident such as this has occurred before, though police have previously raised concerns over the potential issue of people throwing themselves into the reflection pools. Former Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said they had to consider the "possibilities" that someone may try to commit suicide in the monument.
Experts on grief also shared their views that the intense nature of the memorial, and what it represents, may set off a "negative psychological reaction" - especially in those who have a direct connection to 9/11. Officials from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum explained that a physical landmark for a tragedy is a "trigger for grief".
Kari F Watkins said: "People come to these places and begin to understand the meaning of them. We're teaching lessons of remembrance and resilience, and no matter what people are going through in their personal lives, they can relate to some story that is told here."
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