- February 26, 2025
A man who jumped off the Flagler Beach bridge, in an apparent suicide attempt the morning of April 28, was saved by two visitors from out of town.
Richard Mancuso, of Lambert Avenue, Flagler Beach, said that two friends had just come into town before dawn from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, and they were up a few hours later, getting ready for the day. At about 7 a.m., one of the visitors, Brian Schouppe, 47, heard a loud splash in the Intracoastal Waterway near the bridge.
“I didn’t actually see him hit the water, but I saw his body come out of the water,” he recalled. “I thought he was going to try to swim to the side, and then I heard him gurgling.”
The other visitor, Allan Paulley, 43, also heard the splash. “I naturally assumed it was a fish, but as soon as I heard the bang, you could see the splash yet. We just missed him actually falling through the air. … There were people up on the bridge, and I was yelling for a while, ‘Did someone jump?’ Then I heard the gurgling and gasping, and I realized someone jumped.”
Both men took action. Schouppe started swimming out to the man, who was later identified as John Alan Waugaman, 53, of Marbella Court in Palm Coast. Paulley jumped in a kayak but couldn’t find a paddle, so he used his hands to propel himself. Both men reached Waugaman at about the same time and pulled him onto the kayak.
Waugaman was choking and smelled strongly of alcohol, according to Paulley.
“He kept saying, ‘Sorry,’” Paulley said. “It was kind of freaky.” He added, “The police said they knew the guy personally. He was sober for a while, and as he fell off the wagon, he was homeless.”
Waugaman’s possessions, including a jean jacket, broken glasses, lighters, a cab ticket, cigars and miscellaneous papers, were discovered at the top of the bridge, as well.
According to the report from the Flagler Beach Police Department, Waugaman called out for help. Flagler County Fire Rescue arrived on the scene to assist the men. FireFlight then arrived to transport him to Halifax Hospital “for further physical and mental care.”
