Oct. 14--The Dania Beach woman whose daring rescue from an upright railway bridge drew cheers from onlookers -- many of whom captured the drama on cellphones -- will likely be charged with trespassing, a railroad official said Sunday.
"I don't know why the locals didn't charge her," said Robert Ledoux, a spokesman for the Florida East Coast Railway. "There are numerous 'No Trespassing' signs. There is no way she could not know she was trespassing."
The 55-year-old became trapped Saturday morning about 22 feet off the ground when the bridge over the New River went back into its normal upright position after the passage of a train minutes earlier.
Based on information the FEC received from Fort lauderdale police, Ledoux identified the woman as Wanda McGowan.
"She was just stuck in this Jesus Christ position," said Phillip Glazebrook, a Fort Lauderdale man who witnessd the riveting rescue. "The woman was frozen and terrified."
Pictures of the woman clinging to the bridge went viral and were picked up in newspapers across the country. The British Broadcasting Corp. and CNN were among the networks that contacted Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue for more information, said spokesman Matt Little.
In a statement released Sunday, Little expressed concerns, saying the woman's "decision to cross the clearly marked railroad bridge should not be lauded."
"We are thankful that the individual involved in this life-threatening incident survived," he said. "The decision to trespass on private property was an unfortunate poor choice that endangered the trespasser's life as well as the lives of the first responders."
Ledoux said he was bothered by media reports that "made it sound like she was a hero, holding onto the bridge.
"My understanding is that she elected to take a shortcut home," said Ledoux. "That is very unsafe. If someone falls off that bridge, most likely it would be high enough that they would be killed. My biggest fear is that someone would think this is a good idea."
Responding to several 911 calls, firefighters used a 24-foot ladder to bring the woman down unharmed after she had been holding on to the structure for more than 20 minutes. Dressed in shorts and a pink shirt, McGowan told firefighters she had taken part in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5K Walk, which had started about two hours earlier in nearby Huizenga Plaza, north of the New River.
Attempts to reach McGowan by phone and at her Dania Beach home Sunday were unsuccessful.
The span, which works by remote control, is lowered only for the passage of trains. Minutes after FEC officials were notified that the woman was clinging to the bridge, Ledoux said, they offered to lower the span. But firefighters chose to rescue her by ladder, he said.
As part of the FEC investigation, Ledoux said, railway officials will look at surveillance video that might have recorded the woman walking onto the bridge.
Ledoux said walk organizers had not notified the FEC that the route would cross the tracks at two points. "We would have had own security," he said.
Erin Stawarz, spokeswoman in the Florida division of the American Cancer Society, the event's sponsor, did not respond to Ledoux's remarks. But in an earlier statement, she did address the woman's misadventure.
"Obviously, safety and security at events is a top concern," said Stawarz. "This individual ventured off the [walk] site and found herself in this predicament, and we're grateful that she is OK, and nobody was hurt."
A neighbor in Dania Beach, who did not want to give his name, said the woman moved to the area about eight months ago. He said she spends her time taking care of stray dogs, in keeping with what he described as a caring personality.
The railroad bridge has been the scene of tragedy. In December 2010, two Lynn University soccer players --Kyle Conrad and Joe Cundall, both 21 at the time -- crossed the railroad bridge on their way to a party. The bridge opened, causing Conrad to fall to the water. Rescuers found him about 10 minutes later. He was pronounced dead at Broward Health Medical Center. Cundall was found clinging to the bridge's trestle. He was treated for back and ankle injuries.
Staff writers Adam Sacasa and Heather Carney contributed to this report.
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