This is something that would bring everything to halt on Key Bridge, and probably all of Rosslyn and Georgetown. Twitter would be blowing up and there would be tons of Instagram photos. Below is an amusing article that I dug up from September 16th, 1929 in The Washington Post.

While doing stunts on the railing of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Georgetown to amuse a crowd of Sunday motorists, James Hall, 26 years old, of 3032 N street northwest, took a dive of 120 feet into the Potomac River about 6 o’clock last night when Policemen approached to put an end to his stunts.

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Hall landed on his side in the water and in a few minutes he was rescued by Policeman Charles Birkight, of the Harbor Precinct, and William Reynolds, boat club keeper, who rushed to his aid in a boat. After he had been rolled over a barrel until most of the water and liquor were pumped out of him, he appeared none the worse for his experience.

Rescue Squad No. 1 arrived in time to put the finishing touches on him. Policeman Earl Reynolds, who had started after him on the bridge, was awaiting his revival and immediately had him hauled away in the police patrol to the Seventh Precinct Station, where he was booked on a charge of drunkenness.

Policeman Reynolds said afterward that he had tried to approach the would-be tight rope walker cautiously after he had observed him for several minutes. Hall saw him, however, started to run along the railing, slipped and went overboard.

Five weeks later was the stock market crash that led to the Great Depression of the 1930s.