Man denied from Mad River attempts to climb back deck, ends up in hospital

Less than 24 hours after Mad River Bar and Grille officially opened its doors back up to the public after major flooding on Main Street in Manayunk, the restaurant was back in the headlines for more action along the Schuylkill. 

Despite conflicting reports that a man fell from the back deck of Mad River into the Schuylkill shortly before midnight last night, police say that’s not the case.

Philadelphia Police Spokeswoman Officer Jillian Russell says a 19-year-old male was denied entry at Mad River so he tried climbing onto the back deck from the Manayunk Canal behind Main Street. She says once he got to the top, he slipped and fell onto dry land, injuring his ankle.

Mad River’s General Manager Joe DeCandido says it’s then that the man swam over to a dock behind Manayunk Brewery where medics and a fire crew met him. Police say the man never had to be rescued from the water. 

“He was never a patron of Mad River,” DeCandido said. “It’s disappointing, I don’t want it to be misconstrued that Mad River is any kind of dangerous place to be. We have a four to five foot railing on our deck.”

Officer Russell says the man, whose name has not yet been released, is in stable condition at Albert Einstein Medical Center.