The Haunted Bridge Where Dogs Go to Die

Some of the stories involved in this episode mentioned the death of a child as well as death of dogs and their injuries, so listener discretion is advised. In Scotland, there is a bridge that has become famous for bizarre reasons. Dogs from all over the place have been known to go to it and jump to their deaths. But what are the reasons for it? And if there are other bridges with the same characteristics around the same area, why do they pick this one. Let's go meet the legends and ghosts of this place right here on Overton Bridge. My name is Edwin and here's a horror story. Overton Bridge is located in Dumbarton, Scotland. It seems like any other bridge at first glance, just a connection from one area to another. It was built over a small river called the Overton Burn, in a deep gorge surrounded by trees. As hikers approach the bridge, they are met with a white sign with black letters. It reads dangerous bridge. Please keep your dog on a leash now. The sign is there for a reason. Since the nineteen fifties, it's said that hundreds of dogs have jumped off, only fifty I've died, and the number of recorded jumps is far less than hundreds, though many insist that it's been over three hundred. There's no explanation for them jumping off. These dogs are all normal, they have never shown signs of distress and have always been well trained. But there's something about that bridge that makes them lose all sense of self preservation. Locals are superstitious, but no one really believes that their beloved dog is going to jump until well, it happens. In two thousand and two, Kenneth Ele, his partner, daughter, and fifteen year old Golden Retriever Hendrix were on a walk. It was a bright and sunny day, a treat in Scotland really, they had to take advantage and headed outdoors. Hendrix was an older dog at fifteen years of age. She was well trained and everything about her was predictable. She ate at the same time every day, she slept at the same time as she went to the bathroom, all at the same time, predictable, reliable. She was well behaved and never walked with a leash, and this day was no different. The family walked admiring the Overton house, across a bridge and the sound of water rushing by. Everything was normal. Hendrix was near her owner's loyal as ever, but right past the halfway point of the bridge, something was wrong. Kenneth heard his daughter scream in a way she had never screamed before. She sounded horrified. He quickly turned and caught a glimpse of his golden retriever, Hendrix, as he was jumping off the bridge. He ran, but could only watch as Hendrick dropped fifty feet. Kenneth ran down to the bank, trying to reach Hendrix, who lay there motionless. He reached her and was shocked. Hendrix was still alive. He picked her up and carried her back up to the bank. Her fur was falling off in giant chunks. She was in shock. The family went home and tended to Hendrix all night, and she shook in fear, but she was all right. She had landed on a mossy bed that broke or fell. But what made her fall in the first place. Kenneth didn't want to find out. He never took his dog near the bridge again. There was something off about that place. In twenty fifteen, Alice trevorro her son Thomas, and the sheriff Springer spaniel Cassie were on the walk. They were taking advantage of a beautiful, cold, but sunny day in Scotland. Cassie was three years old and well trained. She knew how to walk properly and everything and everything seems fine, just a normal walk, like always, until they reached the halfway point of the bridge. Now again, Cassie was so well trained that Alice was not holding onto the leash strongly, And as soon as he reached the halfway point, Cassie pulled so hard she broke free. And it happened so fast Alice could not grab hold of the leash. Her body went cold. She could do nothing but watch in horror as Cassie, her furry friend, leapt off of Overton Bridge. She ran to the edge and saw us. Cassie plummeted down the yelps. Cassie made still haunt Alice to this day. Cassie survived. Alice rushed Cassie to the nearest vet hospital and they found out she had only broken a limb. Alice believes Cassie did not jump on purpose. It was so out of character for her. Something sinister made Cassie jump. Not all dogs have been as fortunate as Cassie and Hendrix In two thousand and five, Donna Cooper, her husband, two year old son, and her Border collie Ben were on a morning walk. This was something they always did together and there was nothing unusual about it. They walked over the gothic structure of Overton Bridge, and again everything remained normal until they reached the halfway point, and there suddenly, without warning, Ben jumped over the edge of the bridge, the same exact edge Cassie Hendrix and every dog before them had leapt off of Donna, just like Kenneth and Alice could do nothing but watch complete horror as her loving Ben fell fifty feet. Donna and her husband rushed to Ben, who was in really bad shape. It took him to the nearest vet, but it didn't look good. Ben's paw was broken, so was his jaw in his back. The poor dog was in so much pain. The vet told Donna it would be best to put Ben down, and they did, but to this day they did not understand why Ben jumped. Donna's toddler son still asks about little Ben, usually wondering if Ben's paw had been fixed in heaven. The families of dogs that have jumped remained confused and deeply affected by these acts. Thomas, whose dog Cassie jumped in twenty fifteen, felt like he needed to get to the bottom of it. What made Cassie jump. He picked up his friend and headed to Overton Bridge. It was a sunny day again, just like the day that Ben, Hendrix and Cassie had all left off the bridge. Thomas and his friend felt uneasy as they set foot on it. They both felt a heavy presence, but they continued on. They walked the same path as that terrible day that Cassie could have died. As they walked along, they noted the design of the bridge. It actually made it easy for dogs to jump. There were these sections called parapets that were lower low enough to effortlessly jump over them. As they looked at the parapets, they heard a strange noise footsteps that what could have been crying. Last time they checked, no one was near them. They looked up to the other side of the bridge, toward Overton House, and there at the start of the bridge they saw her, the White Lady of Overton Bridge. There had always been rumors and urban legends of the bridge being haunted, but Thomas didn't believe it, not until he saw it with his own eyes. Tomas and his friend aren't the only ones, though, that claimed that Overton Bridge is haunted. In nineteen ninety four, one of the most tragic and heinous acts of terror took place at Overton Bridge. Kevin Moy, his wife Eileen Moy, and their newborn baby Owen, who were on a walk. They could rarely get out of the house those days. Kevin was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, and walking was just not easy for him. It had been that way for years, ever since his initial diagnosis, but he wanted to change. His wife had been asking him to be more active, and with the arrival of their newborn baby boy, he really did want to change for Owen. This was the perfect chance to start working towards that change. After all, it was a beautiful day, sunny, not too cold, and only a little bit When the family set out for their walk, and Kevin held baby Owen while Eileen walked just a bit ahead of them, it was a good day. It had been a while since they were out like this all together as a family. They were walking and joined the sun Waterfall and they approached Overton Bridge. They could see the looming Overton house up ahead. As Eileen, Kevin, and Owen approached the halfway point of the bridge, Eileen slowed down. She walked to the edge of the bridge and stared down at the valley, admiring the views. Kevin walked toward her, and she thought he was going to join her, maybe look out at nature together and enjoy the moment. Kevin did join her, slowly, but he didn't stop next to her like she thought he was going to. He also wasn't holding Owen like one was supposed to hold a newborn baby. He was in cradling him and supporting the baby's head. Instead, both of Kevin's arms were extended and his hands were around Owen's body. He was dangling Owen over the bridge. Eileen screamed as she tried to stop him, but Kevin let go of his newborn baby. She could do nothing but scream and pain as she watched the baby she had just given birth to fall fifty feet down. Her earth gutting scream had got the attention of others who were hiking nearby. Kevin himself had one leg over the bridge, ready to jump, but Eileen pulled him back The hikers arrived and pinned Kevin down. He was fighting them. They dragged him to Overton House to get him away from the bridge. All this time others were continuing to look for baby Owen, and meanwhile at the Overton House, Kevin continued to fight the hikers. Eileen could only scream and cry. Kevin wasn't making any sense. He told everyone that he was the anti Christ and that Owen Satan. If they stayed alive, the world would be in danger. The Gulf War was their fault. They were going to be in infecting the world with a deadly virus. They both needed to die. The bystanders struggled to hold on to Kevin. He was too strong and he broke free. He ran across the halls of Overton House barged up to the kitchen, where he found a knife. He slit his wrists, maybe trying to finish his mission. Paramedics arrived and they began life saving measures. Back underneath Overton Bridge, rescuers found baby Owen. He was still alive and rapidly transported to the nearest hospital, but he tragedally passed away from his injuries. The following day. Kevin survived his suicide attempt. No it's interesting. Kevin had been paranoid and obsessed with the number six for years. He reportedly also discussed Satan a lot, but no one believed him to be a danger to anybody. He was charged for the death of baby Owen, and during his trial he was found not guilty for reasons of insanity. Psychiatrists testified and diagnosed Kevin Moy with paranoid schizophrenia who was offering through psychosis when he threw his son from the bridge. He was sent to a maximum security psychiatric hospital and received treatment. He was released in nineteen ninety nine and maintained for years that the bridge was indeed haunted, and Kevin is just one of the many who claim that the bridge has something going on. Paul Owens is a teacher and philosopher who grew up in a nearby town close to the bridge. He had always been extremely curious about the phenomena, what was really behind the jumping, behind the tragedy. He even wrote an entire book in twenty eighteen dedicated to this mystery. He believes the reason is supernatural, and what he experienced in twenty thirteen cemented to disbelief. For him. He used to frequent the bridge regularly. It was normal for him. On this particular day, he was standing past the halfway point of the bridge looking over the side, when suddenly, out of nowhere, he felt a firm, hard poke on his back, and then he felt the finger poking him again. No one was near him, but he believes that an entity was trying to push him over the bridge, and that it was most likely the Lady of Overton. He described it as quote the sensation you get when you fear someone might push you over the edge of a train platform. This also happened to be the same spot that Kevin tried to jump over after throwing his baby. It also happens to be the same place most dogs jump as well. Was there something in Overton's bridge past that was making dogs and people job? And also who was the white Lady of Overton? Why was she there? I'll tell you all about this up next. Stay with me. Overton Bridge was built in eighteen ninety five, and it was made to lead directly to the Overton House. James White, an industrialist who owned a chemical manufacturing plant, originally purchased the land where the bridge and the house would sit James White and his wife lived there happily for decades until James died inside of the house. His wife continued to live there until she died as well, also inside the house. Their son, John White inherited the chemical plant and Overton House. James was known for his kindness, but John was not. He overworked the chemical plant workers and mistreated them. And while his employees got no breaks, no days off, and no bene, he used to throw luxurious parties at Overton House. You see, John and his wife had no children and the big house felt empty, so they would throw parties to fill the emptiness of the house. His frequent guests had trouble getting to his house from the other side of the Dumbarton, and to make it easier, he commissioned the construction of that bridge. This would connect Overton House to the other side so his guests could avoid climbing down and then back up the ravine. But the bridge didn't just connect the two sides of the land for John, it also gave him political connections that were unattainable before this bridge. He was granted the title of Baron of Overton and his wife became the Lady of Overton. And they continued to hold their parties, but other than that, Lady Overton sat alone in the giant house. John was away a lot due to business trips, political work, and work at the plant. The parties were her connection to a social life, and as it grew older, it became more difficult to host these lavish parties, and then John became ill and bedridden. Lady Overton cared for the baron as best as she could, but he eventually passed away, leaving her all alone. After John's passing, Lady Overton became isolated. She was never seen in town. She would stay in the lonely mansion all by herself, with only her thoughts for company. Every once in a while, the townspeople would pass by late at night and see her pacing the bridge back and forth, back and forth. This was her only outing. Maybe it reminded her of better times when her husband was still alive and that bridge was her connection to a social life. Lady Overton outlived her husband by thirty one years and they were long companionless years. She passed away in the house, but days after her passing, townspeople against seeing something strange, They could see the figure of a woman standing on the bridge on the side where Overton House sits. This figure would vanish, leaving hikers confused. People also claim to see that same figure at the windows of Overton House, staring at the bridge you see in Scotland. People believe that the world of phantoms and spirits and our world are only three feet apart, but there are some parts where the space is a lot thinner than three feet, and Overton Bridge is one of those spots. Lady Overton it was so lonely in life, she didn't want to stay lonely in the afterlife, it said. Animals, including dogs, have heightened senses and consense that supernatural feeling. Some believe that Lady Overton, desperately seeking companionship in the afterlife, lures dogs she likes to their deaths so they can be with her forever. Dog walkers have claimed to feel a push in their back, even when their dogs don't jump. People have also felt a heavy feeling while walking along that bridge. Many have heard strange undertones in a very faint drumming sound. During one spirit box session by the Paranormal Hauntings team recorded the voice of a woman on the bridge saying thank you. Lady Overton isn't the only one haunting this area either. Hikers and paranormal investigators have seen what they believed is the ghost of a child and a man at Overton House. And if that wasn't enough, Scotland was home to witch burnings in the seventeenth century. The last witch was executed in sixteen ninety five in Dumbarton, the place where the bridge is a lot of these burnings happen in the same land that Overton House and Overton Bridge would be built. It's said that the souls of the victims killed during the witch trials remain in this area. The Scottish Ghost Company does a lot of paranormal investigations in Scotland using different equipment. They have a video of their investigation at Overton House on their website. In the video, you can see a group of people that are standing in the woods in front of trees right outside of the house. They set up big flashlights in front of them, called the maglite torches. In paranormal investigations, maglight torches can be used to ask questions with directions things like if you're here with us, can you turn on the flashlight or can you flash it on and off two times, and if it happens, then it's believed that the spirit is there some type of intelligent response. In the video by the Scottish Ghost Company, someone asks, can we ask you some questions? Can you turn on the other one over there? The camera pans to the right and there's maglite in the tree. It turns on and everyone cheers and thinks the spirit. The team believes it was the ghost of a witch that was with them that night. We'll never really know exactly why dogs are jumping. There are researchers and animal behavioral specialists that think that the sense of Overton Bridge are just so overwhelming that it causes sensitive dogs to lead to their deaths. And through our research we found so many different theories, like things with sounds and minks that were around there than their nesting grounds, and things that affect the senses of dogs, sometimes in their ears or by the smell. I'm sure these sounds and smells are natural explanations for jumping dogs, but what about the uneasy feeling humans get on the bridge, the hans and the drums and hands that push dog walkers. All these theories don't explain the Lady of Overton and the sightings on the bridge as well, And maybe we will never find the answer, just like we'll never find the reasoning behind the feeling of someone nudging you to the edge of a bridge as you look back, realizing that you're the only one there. This episode of Horror Story was researched by Dawn and written and produced by Christina Limagi. What other haunted places have you heard about from your comments on the last episode. Some of the ideas were the Suicide Forest, New Orleans and the bork Vatnet vicarage in Sweden, which we have an episode about on my other podcast called Scary Mystery Surprise. In case you want to check it out, remember you can get this and the other shows completely add free over on Scary Plus. Links are on your app right now so you can try it out for free. Anyway, Let me know what else you want to hear about next time. Thank you very much for listening so soon.