BREAKING: Director Tony Scott Jumps to His Death

This is not the kind of scoop that The Daily Breeze or any other local SoCal newspaper wishes for.

Staff writer Art Marroquin, updating this evening his item from earlier in the day, identified a man who committed suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge near Long Beach as Hollywood A-list director Tony Scott. The bridge connects San Pedro with Terminal Island:

Scott, 68, climbed a fence on the south side of the bridge’s apex and leapt off “without hesitation” around 12:30 p.m., according to the Coroner’s Department and port police. A suicide note was found inside Scott’s black Toyota Prius, which was parked on one of the eastbound lanes of the bridge, said U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Jennifer Osburn…

Authorities used sonar equipment to track the man in the port’s murky waters and his body was recovered by a dive team around 4:30 p.m., port police Sgt. Michael Alva said. Scott’s body was taken to a dock in Wilmington and turned over to the county coroner.

This is terrible, tragic news. RIP.

Update – 08/20/12: Good Morning America, quoting an anonymous source, is reporting that Scott had inoperable brain cancer.

Update – 08/20/12: The Good Morning America claim has been challenged by both the LA Coroner’s office and by Scott’s widow Donna via Deadline.com.

[Photo of Scott at 2010 Unstoppable premiere: Jaguar PS/Shutterstock.com]