Sheriff: Men jumped off Vancleave bridge to avoid imaginary train

VANCLEAVE -- Jackson County first responders spent part of Thursday morning retrieving two men who jumped off the Roy Cumbest Bridge to avoid being hit by an imaginary train, officials said.

Jackson County Sherrif Mike Ezell told the Sun Herald that Elvis Duke and Damion Randolph were sent to Singing River Hospital to be checked out for moderate injuries.

He said deputies received a call about 3 a.m. reporting a car had driven off Wade Vancleave Road into high standing water just west of Fish Lake Road.

Deputy Chris Goff arrived to find the car, a 1999 Nissan Maxima, abandoned with no one in sight. The Sheriff's Department had it towed away.

"Some deputies went out and found the vehicle, but they could not find a driver or passengers," Ezell said. "We had the car towed.

"On Thursday morning, we received a call from some fishermen who spotted two men under the bridge."

At 8 a.m. Thursday, deputies returned to the area on a report two men appeared to be injured and lying under the Roy Cumbest Bridge, about a half-mile west of where the Nissan was found.

The men jumped from the bridge because they were trying to avoid being hit by a nonexistent train, the sheriff said.

"They told us they jumped off the bridge because they saw a train coming," he said. "Funny thing is, there aren't any train tracks up there."

Ezell could not confirm if the calls were related and said neither of the men was the owner of the Nissan. The incident remains under investigation.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Sheriff: Men jumped off Vancleave bridge to avoid imaginary train ."