Construction equipment sits on a bridge from which a man fell to his death Saturday night.
Manor Township police on Sunday identified the man who died after apparently falling Saturday night from a bridge over the Conestoga River that is under construction and closed to traffic.
Robert A. Smith, 70, of Buck Road, Quarryville, was pronounced dead by a deputy county coroner at the bridge carrying South Duke Street across the river, which separates Manor and Conestoga townships.
County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
According to police, Smith had been attending a party on Owl Bridge Road, which is not far from the river.
He left the party about 8:45 p.m. and was possibly walking along South Duke Street on the way to his home in Quarryville, police said.
The South Duke Street bridge over the Conestoga has been closed for reconstruction since June 3. Signs posted around the bridge clearly indicate it is closed.
Police said part of the span's deck has been removed, with nothing but steel girders left exposed.
Smith apparently was attempting to cross that bridge around 9 p.m. when he fell into the river.
Police arrived at the scene about 9:30 p.m. and found Smith floating facedown in the river.
"At that point, he had been in the water for about 20 or 25 minutes," Manor police Officer Brian Liddick said.
Officers pulled Smith from the river, brought him to the shore in Manor Township and tried to resuscitate him.
Their attempts failed, Liddick said.
Police were not sure Sunday if alcohol or a medical problem played a role in Smith's death. The incident remains under investigation.