Should Pierce County Ban Bridge Jumping on Lake Tapps?

The temptation of jumping off a Lake Tapps bridge on a hot day into the icy waters below may soon become illegal.

Last week, the Pierce County Council Public Safety and Human Services Committee voted unanimously to recommend a ban on jumping from two bridges on the lake – one at Fairweather Cove at the north end of the lake, and the other on 218th Ave. E. on the south side. The Council will make their vote next month.

If approved, violators would be fined $120 for bridge jumping.

Pierce County Councilman Dan Roach (R-Bonney Lake) said bridge jumpers and their friends often congregate around the two-lane roads and cause safety hazards and traffic buildup.

Two years ago, 20-year-old Algona resident Charley Sing drowned in Lake Tapps after he dove off the Sumner-Tapps Highway bridge.

This summer, three young men drowned on Lake Tapps, making it one of the most dangerous swimming seasons in the lake's history.

Swimming and fishing off Lake Tapps' bridges are already illegal. Jumping off bridges is already illegal in seven other lakes in Pierce County.

Do you think bridge jumping at Lake Tapps should be illegal? Tell us in the comments.