Jorge Ruiz, Rockefeller Center’s Would-Be ‘Jumper,’ Was Upset That His Book Would Not Be Published

More information is being made available about the man who gave New York City a collective heart attack yesterday afternoon when he threatened to jump from the 70-story high observation deck of Rockefeller Center’s General Electric building. The man, Jorge Ruiz, was visiting New York from Las Vegas, and was apparently distraught that a book he’d written was not going to be published.

Employees within the building, watching the scene unfold from the observation deck’s surveillance cameras, and tourists down in the plaza alike were snapping photos and Tweeting up a storm, many urging the man not to jump.

The image seen here was uploading by Late Night‘s Questlove, who let his Twitter followers know the man was safe — and in big trouble: “Whew!!!!! They got him!!!!!!!!! Now beat his ass for ruining my lunch.”

New York City police and city firefighters were eventually able to remove Ruiz, who was then taken to Bellevue Hospital for an evaluation.

h/t Huffington Post

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!