A teenage girl recalls the horrifying moment her friend pushed her off an 18m bridge in Washington, leaving her with broken ribs. Source: ABC News
The 16-year-old girl who was left seriously injured after being pushed off a 60-foot bridge into a river by a friend has spoken out from hospital saying she could have easily died.
Jordan Holgerson suffered five broken ribs and a punctured lung after she plunged into Moulton Falls on theLewis River in Yacolt, Washington on Tuesday.
The teenager spoke out from hospital on Thursday after the footage of her being pushed went viral, reports Daily Mail.
She was then rushed to PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington.
Genelle Holgerson, the girl's mother, said Jordan suffered five cracked ribs and internal injuries. She also suffered a bruised esophagus, an injured trachea, air bubbles in her chest and a punctured lung.
Jordan, speaking from her hospital bed, revealed Tuesday was her first time on the bridge. She said she was "aware and awake" when she hit the water. Photo / Facebook
"She is alert but in pain and is very tired. We're lucky she is going to recover and not have permanent injuries."
It remains unclear how long Jordan will have to be hospitalized. She's expecting to be in pain for roughly six weeks.
The terrifying ordeal was captured on video as Jordan stood on the 60-foot high ledge with her friends gathered behind her.
"No, I won't go in," Jordan can be heard telling her friends as they try to pressure her to jump off the bridge.
She tells her friends "no" a second time in the video, but the group still rallies to get her to leap. Then, suddenly, one man asks "Ready?" and a female friend is seen shoving Jordan off the bridge.
The teen plunged into the water below and landed with a horrifying thud as her friends gasped.
"Oh, that's so f****d," someone can be heard saying off-camera.
Jordan's mother has since revealed that the friend who pushed Jordan into the water is an adult.
"I'm very upset with her," said the mother-of-four, who believes the woman should turn herself in. "She is an adult, and I'm sure she should have known better."
Jordan said her friend has since said sorry, but that her apologies are not enough.
"I could've died," she said. "It could've ended a lot worse, is what I'm thinking about."
Jordan's sister Kaytlin said she confronted the friend on social media, saying a true friend wouldn't have done that.
"Friends don't push someone from that high so I was p***ed," Kaytlin said.
"She pretty much said that she was sorry for doing it and she wouldn't have done it if she knew the outcome of it and that she knows it was an absurd thing to do.
"I think the girl that pushed her should have some sort of consequence because you won't learn your lesson if you think you can could do that again and think it will be fine."
Ashley Mahree, the woman who posted the shocking clip to YouTube, also said she believes the woman who pushed Jordan should go to jail.
"This looks to be almost criminal...this could have easily taken a life," Mahree wrote in the YouTube description.
"I think this girl needs to be held accountable in some way."
Clark County Fire Chief Ben Peeler confirmed it is illegal to jump from the bridge.
