# Man with stolen harp jumps into a lake

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [January 22, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940 "2026-01-22T22:00:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/1 "2026-01-22T22:00:28Z")

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To clarify, he left the harp on shore, along with his clothes. Just a weird random story to amuse folks.

> **[Man brings stolen $30K harp to Point State Park before jumping into river,...](https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/pittsburgh/news/stolen-harp-point-state-park-river-pittsburgh/)**
>
> A man brought a stolen harp worth $30,000 to Point State Park and left it on the riverbank before jumping into the icy water on Wednesday afternoon, Pittsburgh Public Safety said.

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**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/2 "2026-01-22T22:35:37Z")

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Why?? It sounds like he could be mentally ill?

And harps can be heavy. Years ago, a classical harpist told me that her harp weighed 90 lbs. She was a small woman, 5’1" and 100 lbs, and said that ironically. quite a number of the harpists she knew were also small women who had trouble moving their instruments.

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**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/3 "2026-01-22T22:43:24Z")

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I presumed he was somehow trying to escape. If it was mental illness, than I retract the “amusing” bit.

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/4 "2026-01-22T23:20:05Z")

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The article says he “disrobed” before jumping in the river, which is a point in favor of “mentally ill” over “trying to escape”, but it sounds like we don’t have the whole story.

If he was trying to escape, he’s clearly not been keeping up with Kevin Underhill’s years of advice on this point.

> **[Many Still Insist on Trying to Flee Authorities via Water](https://www.loweringthebar.net/2024/12/many-still-insist-on-trying-to-flee-authorities-via-water.html)**
>
> Just the latest roundup of failed attempts.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/5 "2026-01-24T04:35:33Z")

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Reminds me of the time we were at a hotel breakfast buffet that had a harpist playing, and Mrs. J. barely dissuaded me from requesting “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road”.

I was fully clothed though.

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/man-with-stolen-harp-jumps-into-a-lake/1026940/6 "2026-01-24T06:15:45Z")

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Cue Gracie Fields:

[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/a7jU2Pj7OI4/maxresdefault.jpg "Gracie Fields 'I Took My Harp To A Party' 1933 78 rpm") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7jU2Pj7OI4)