Dirty Jobs Host Mike Rowe Recalls Terrifying Mackinac Bridge Moment

For fans of Mike Rowe, the former host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs, you may be surprised that the most death-defying moment in the show's history happened nearly 600 feet above the Straits of Mackinac.

Mike Rowe’s Scariest Dirty Jobs Moment Happened in Michigan

On a recent episode of the Shawn Ryan Show, Rowe went into detail about his time working with the maintenance crew on Michigan's Mackinac Bridge and how that gorgeous view nearly led to a tragic incident.

The Dirty Jobs Episode on Michigan’s Mighty Mac

Mike Rowe stands atop the Mackinac Bridge in what he calls Dirty Jobs scariest moment.

As Rowe describes the Mackinac Bridge Authority episode of Dirty Jobs (Season 2, Episode 16, Bridge Painter), he and the camera crew were originally only supposed to help paint the bridge's iconic main green cables, which need constant refreshing of their signature green.

When the shoot wrapped up, Rowe asked, assuming the answer would be no, whether he and the camera crew could scale one of the supports and replace a lightbulb high above the water's surface. That's 552 feet, straight down to the Straits of Mackinac.

Much to his surprise, the crew with the Mackinac Bridge Authority said, "Sure."

So, with safety gear on, he began the long journey up the cables, and for nearly the entire trip, he kept safety top of mind... until he didn't. Throughout the long haul up the structure, Rowe said he would clip and unclip the pair of harnesses he was wearing to the safety rigging, but once he reached the top, he must have been a bit distracted.

The 552-Foot Climb Above the Straits of Mackinac

The entire walk up, a helicopter had been circling Rowe as he trudged to the top of the Mackinac Bridge, and he was communicating with the pilot to ensure they were getting all the best shots for the episode.

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Whether the conversation or the posing for the shots distracted him is unknown; what he does know is that he sat atop the Mackinac Bridge, changing a lightbulb with the old one hanging from his teeth, not clipped to anything that would stop him from plummeting over 552 feet and slamming into the Straits of Mackinac.

The Shawn Ryan Show interview with Mike Rowe is over 3 hours long, but we've cued up the Mackinac Bridge story for you. Take a look at the video below for the full story from Rowe himself.