Young men who climbed Ravenel Bridge while practicing parkour issue apology

Two young men who reportedly tried to scale the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge Monday afternoon while practicing “parkour” issued an apology Wednesday through their attorney.

“We wish to offer our most sincere apologies to those who were either stuck in traffic or inconvenienced while we attempted to scale the Ravenel Bridge,” said the statement from David Aylor on behalf of his clients, 21-year-old James Chad Tomberlin and 18-year-old Kahrall Arkeen Wright. “We also want to apologize to and thank the police officers and firefighters who came to our aid.”

Police arrested the two Charleston roommates on disorderly conduct charges. A magistrate judge set bail at $262 each Tuesday. Mount Pleasant and Charleston police and fire departments, the Charleston police bomb squad and a Coast Guard boat all responded to the call that two young men had climbed over the bridge’s railing, 180 feet over the Cooper River. The rescue mission disrupted traffic for hours.

Tomberlin climbed back over the railing, according to a police report, but a firefighter harnessed and dangling from a ladder truck retrieved Wright from below the bridge. The two men said in their statement that they didn’t realize the severity of their decision.

”At the time, we did not recognize the impact our actions would have and how it could have possibly jeopardized the safety of others who responded to the Ravenel Bridge,” the statement said. “We’ve learned a valuable lesson and again want to apologize to the community.”

According to AmericanParkour.com, a website that boasts 90,000 registered users, “Parkour is the physical discipline of training to overcome any obstacle within one’s path by adapting one’s movements to the environment.”

“Parkour training focuses on safety, longevity, personal responsibility and self-improvement,” the website says. “It discourages reckless behavior, showing off and dangerous stunts.”

Read more in Thursday’s editions of The Post and Courier.

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