Tommy Burns (diver)

rdf:langString Tommy Burns (diver)

rdf:langString Thomas Burns

rdf:langString Thomas "Tommy" Burns

rdf:langString Thomas "Tommy" Burns

rdf:langString West Derby, Liverpool

rdf:langString Tommy Burns on an 'Ogdens Cigarettes' card, circa 1901

rdf:langString Thomas Burns

rdf:langString Marie Burns

rdf:langString Thomas "Tommy" Burns (21 January 1868 – 6 July 1897) was a British diver born in Liverpool, England. Throughout the late 19th century, he gained notoriety for diving off structures, usually bridges such as London Bridge and Clifton Suspension Bridge in England and the Tay Bridge in Scotland. Often, his diving attempts would be thwarted by police or he would face arrest upon returning to dry land. Burns was also known to be a life saver and during his lifetime, is believed to have saved in excess of 40 lives. In July 1897, Burns dived off Rhyl Pier in front of an audience of 3,000 people. Some observed that he looked to have been drinking alcohol prior to the dive, which ended with him landing heavily on his back and struggling to swim to shore. Swimmers helped him onto the pier, where he was unconscious and declared dead after 20 minutes of attempted resuscitation. At this time, he was destitute and his coffin was provided by Rhyl Pier, while another professional diver helped to raise funds for his widow by diving off the Rhyl Pier as Burns himself had done. Although Burns had been drinking alcohol excessively before the dive, the jury of the inquest returned a verdict of accidental drowning.