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Suicide is the 13th leading cause of death world-wide and ranks 3rd in many countries among 10-24 year olds. An estimated 815,000 people commit suicide each year around the world representing one death every 40 seconds. Some who attempt suicide are fortunate enough to receive a second chance at life. This list includes some of the more popular suicide locations along with people that were given another chance to live. Also included in the list are the grim suicide statistics for each destination. It also should be noted that the details from each incident varies depending on the information put forward by the press and the survivors.
Location: Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (Estimated over 30 Suicides)
In 1995 after a failed relationship, 29 year old Connie Mercure from Brooklyn jumped over 200 feet into the Lower New York Bay. Rescuers immediately pulled her from the chilly waters. Mercure survived with a broken leg, extensive internal bleeding and hypothermia.
Location: Throgs Neck Bridge (Estimated over 40 Suicides)
In 2001 26 year old Matthew Sicoli, after a fight with his girlfriend and job woes walked on the pedestrian lane toward the center of the Throgs Neck Bridge. Authorities spotted Sicoli kneeling and then watched in horror as he hopped over a railing and disappeared. Police quickly mounted a rescue effort and saved Sicoli in less than 10 minutes. Matthew survived the 140-foot leap and suffered only bruises to his ribs, stomach and face. It is estimated he went into the East River hitting the water at 64 mph. Sicoli’s 51-year-old mother committed suicide by jumping off the Whitestone Bridge just five years earlier.
Location: Sunshine Skyway Bridge: (Over 120 Suicides)
On May of 2001, 35 year old artist and inventor Hanns Jones was despondent over business pressures. After heavy drinking and a horrible fight with his wife, Jones drove his pickup to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to end his life. Right after Jones jumped he said he knew it was a big mistake. Jones described the jump as “You just accelerate and accelerate so fast and then it stops, but when you stop you don’t feel like you hit water, you feel like you hit concrete”. The force of the impact ripped Jones’s clothes off. Despite multiple rib fractures, internal bleeding and a collapsed lung, he was able to swim to the rocks near one of the pylons. He was sitting there naked when rescuers arrived, and then spent weeks in the hospital recovering. Jones says he’s fine and happy today, and he often wonders why he survived when so many others didn’t.
Location: Jacques Cartier Bridge (Over 140 Suicides)
Did Bélizaire had an addiction to gambling which started when he was 17 years old. In 2003 at the age of 36, he had another losing night playing the video lottery terminals at the nearby Casino de Montréal. Bélizaire found himself deep in a hole and called his girlfriend on his cell phone, asked for her blessing and ended the call without telling her what he was about to do. Bélizaire then jumped off the Jacques Cartier Bridge into the St. Lawrence River. Bélizaire survived the jump and was unable to force himself to drown because his survival instincts took over. The jump cost Bélizaire the use of his legs and is now a paraplegic. Bélizaire is quoted saying “Once I was a strapping 6-foot-7 basketball and football player and now I’m a 3 foot 3 inches in a wheelchair”. Bélizaire takes every opportunity he can to tell young people his story and sound the alarm against compulsive gambling.
Location: Brooklyn Bridge (Estimated suicides are in the hundreds)
In June of 2008, a 34 year-old woman identified as “Michelle” decided to end her life by jumping off the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge. After her 10 story leap into the East River several witnesses called 911 and the woman was quickly plucked from the chilly waters. Paramedics were amazed that she came out of it with no broken bones and hardly a scratch. She was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where she was admitted for having water in her lungs.
Location: Humber Bridge (Over 200 Suicides)
28 year old Angela Schuman was going through a custody battle with her ex- husband over their daughter. She wrote several letters, including one saying:” I can be with my daughter all the time. I can be free and far away where no Julio (her husband) of this world can reach us and separate us. And I can be with my daughter on her birthday.” In the fall of 2005 Angela jumped off Humber Bridge (3 days prior to her daughters 2nd birthday) holding on to her daughter all the way down. The little girl was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where she was found to be hypothermic, but five days later was able to go home. Angela Schumann spent almost two months in hospital for treatment to lower body fractures. In the hospital, Schumann was found to have faded writing on her stomach saying: “Cause of death Julio”. The mother and daughter are two of only five to have ever survived a fall from Humber Bridge.
Location: Aurora Bridge (Over 220 Suicides)
John Dittmann felt suicidal, blaming it on a daily regiment of taking tranquilizers to treat mental illness and drinking alcohol to offset the pills. Dittmann often would stare at the Aurora Bridge from his Wallingford halfway house and in 1979 at the age of 22 he decided to end his life with a leap off the bridge. After jumping Dittmann had a change of heart and decided he didn’t want to die. He then frantically threw his arms back and fought to keep his body from pitching forward and tried to keep his feet extended as he plunged 174 feet. He hit Lake Union at 70 mph with a crack and struggled to swim meekly to shore. Dittmann fractured his back and injured his lungs, but survived. The Seattle man is one of about 30 people who have survived a leap from the landmark bridge.
Location: Clifton Bridge (Over 500 Suicides)
This miraculous escape from death happened over 120 years ago. 22 year old Sarah Henley received a letter from her fiancé breaking up their engagement. In a state of despair she rushed to end her life by the jumping off the Clifton Suspension Bridge. That particular morning there was a slight wind blowing and Sarah’s skirt was inflated (acting like a parachute) and considerably slowed down her decent. The wind also prevented her falling straight into the water. Sarah lived a full life and died in 1948. Her incredible luck gave her an extra 62 years of life. Sarah Henley’s jump has become legend and is recorded in the official history of the Suspension Bridge.
Location: Beachy Head (Over 500 Suicides known)
In June of 1995, 15 year old Martin Hinchcliffe had a fight with his girlfriend’s parents. After writing a note to his mother saying he would kill himself he walked to Sugar Lump cliff on Beachy Head and jumped. 35 feet into his fall he was caught by some extending rocks and was completely hidden from view in a deep crevasse. After spending 72 hours holding on to the cliffs, his cries were finally heard by a man walking on the beach below. Coastguard, police and firefighters went to the scene and were able to rescue Hinchcliffe who suffered a broken leg and cracked several ribs. Hinchcliffe said he sucked on rocks during the 72 hours to avoid dehydration.
Location: Golden Gate Bridge (Over 1500 Suicides)
At the age of 19 Kevin Hines battle with bipolar disorder became so intense that he finally decided to end his life. In the year 2000 he attended his first class at school, and then took a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge, crying all the way. Hines picked his spot and stood there for 40 minutes. No one approached him to ask what was wrong and when a tourist came up and asked whether he could take her photo, Hines thought that was clear proof that no one cared. He took the picture, and then jumped. Instantly he realized he had made a mistake and thought to himself “God save me”. As he was falling Hines came up with a plan to save his life, and threw his head back and tried to hit feet first. Hines was hurtled 40 feet underwater but miraculously survived. Hines endured arduous physical rehabilitation after his near-death experience, but said dealing with his bipolar disorder had been far more difficult. He now lives by a strict schedule, and has found a combination of drugs and therapy that allows him to regulate his manic highs and depressions. Currently, Hines works with several mental health groups and suicide prevention hot lines.
Contributor: Blogball
October 15th, 2008 at 3:12 am
Is there such a thing as an UNlucky suicide survivor?
October 15th, 2008 at 3:14 am
cool guns on the list, g. doesn’t korea have the world’s highest suicide rate now??
October 15th, 2008 at 3:22 am
Wow I have read these lists for years and this is the first time I haven’t seen any comments so I guess im about 5th
October 15th, 2008 at 3:44 am
im about 7th
October 15th, 2008 at 3:47 am
Leave it to Blogball to write a unique and awesome list. Good job
October 15th, 2008 at 3:50 am
There was another survivor recently on the Sunshine Skyway. A Coast Guard boat was close by when the women jumped and fished her out. The newspaper article stated that from the distance you jump from on the that bridge, you are going around 75 mph when you hit the water.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Why is it 90% of these suicides on this list is jumping from the bridge? Is there no case of a survivor jumping off from a high rise building? Hmmm… That would be a hell of SUPER Extremely Lucky Suicide Survivor.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Reminds me of OLIVERSANSWEET, i think in THE INCREDIBLES. God is surely watching over some people!
October 15th, 2008 at 3:56 am
Notable miss is the van staden bridge in Port Elisabeth, South Africa, 140 m from the ground. I think so many suicides have happened there that it is now a traffic offense to stop on the bridge for whatever reason. and on constant surveillance,
October 15th, 2008 at 4:19 am
Very powerful list, blogball. Well done.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:21 am
I saw a special on Oprah which was more impressive. It had two teenagers; one was a girl who laid down on a set of train tracks and a train came and severed her legs but she survived. Another was a guy that shot himself in the head but missed his brain and got his eyes instead, leaving him blind and concious while the paramedics arrived.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:43 am
1. rob – Is there such a thing as an UNlucky suicide survivor?
I was gonna ask the opposite: How can you be sure that these survivors are lucky? It seems that most of them wanted to die, so the most lucky outcome would be death. Unless they changed their mind after surviving, but we dont know if they did. Maybe they lived unhappy for the rest of their lives, never being able to collect enough willpower for a second attempt.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:43 am
I heard of someone who jumped off a building and a huge updraft blew her back on the roof…don’t know if its true or not.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:48 am
*1. rob – Is there such a thing as an UNlucky suicide survivor?*
I suppose if someone wanted to kill themself so badly that failing to do so would be consider him/herself unlucky. Imagine feeling like a bigger failure than you already think you are because you didn’t succeed.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:53 am
While I read the list I thought “rushfan”. Then I saw blogball’s name and thought “No, that’s far too happy to be rushfan!”
I checked. According to wiki citing the World Health Organisation, S Korea has the 14th highest rate in the world, behind PR China and Japan in this region. Those figures need to be treated with caution, though, due to gathering and comparing (eg the figures for PR China and India are way out of whack with everywhere else).
Certainly the rate has gone up – something like doubled in 15 years. It got a kick start during the financial crisis of 1997. There have been 5 high-profile showbiz suicides in the last 18 or so months, the latest 2 weeks ago.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:54 am
Wow….
October 15th, 2008 at 4:55 am
Regarding number 5, what are the chances that both mother and daughter would live considering that only 5 people altogether have survived jumping off that particular bridge? Also, how is that little girl going to feel knowing her mother tried to kill her?
October 15th, 2008 at 5:05 am
I’m with you on that, ligeia. How unfair is it that a child has their life taken over someone else’s grief? In my opinion, that act would take away that child’s innocence – she’s being forced to deal with adult issues before she even understands them.
A tragic AND powerful list – it’s easy to empathize as you read the descriptions of these survivors.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:06 am
shucks…this sucks…made me cry…waaa…
October 15th, 2008 at 5:14 am
B-On – Clearly, according to the texts, a few of these survivors appear to have immediately regretted their decision. Drink/drugs and emotional over-reaction also appear to have played a part.
In terms of UNlucky survivors we could include the recent news story we had in the UK, where a father leapt from a hotel window with his 2 kids, killing at least one of the kids, surviving and ending up in a Greek jail.
I must admit to be rather amused by my mental image of Sarah Henley’s attempt in number 3. Surely this must have inspired the author of Mary Poppins.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Number 1 is pretty sad… bipolar is absolutely wicked. I do not have it myself, but, working in mental health, I see it everyday.
Nasty nasty stuff.
Folks, TAKE YOUR MEDS!
October 15th, 2008 at 6:07 am
Excellent list Blogball. It appears most of these people went on to have productive, full lives. It proves where there is life, there is hope.
ajaxkid; and don’t forget if you’re meds aren’t working, tell your doctor and try something else. There is a cornucopia of help, and not everyone responds the same way to everything. Be patient.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:17 am
suicide angers me. can there be a more selfish act?
did the woman in #5 go to jail for attempted murder?
October 15th, 2008 at 6:23 am
Number 1 have all my sympathy. I’ve been struggling with bipolar most of my adult life and also survived a suicide attempt. I overdosed on sleeping pills and a friends son broke into my apartment and discovered me. Poor kid got such a fright I dont think he will ever try to brake into any home again. The thing is I dont really want to die and consider myself lucky to have survived, but I have no controll over my actions when I’m in the middle of the extreme moodswings. I do take my meds, but at times its as if the mood disorder is stronger than the medication.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:26 am
DiscHuker: I typed her name into Google and found an article from the Telegraph newspaper which says she was jailed for 18 months. It also says the little girl was almost 3, not 2. The husband wasn’t even the father of her daughter so I wonder why she was so worried that he would get custody
October 15th, 2008 at 6:27 am
theres a true story about a woman who jumped out of a window on the empire states building, the wind was that strong it blew here in a window two storeys down and she survived
October 15th, 2008 at 6:29 am
I’m not trying to attack anyone personally, promise..
suicide was honorable at one time, it’s a cultural difference I think. I guess it doesn’t necessarily make it right, but even though our society doesn’t accept it readily, after some thought, suicide is a personal right. every human being can do what they want with their lives, become what they want to be, and defy social norms, until they inflict another person’s rights.
suicide does not do that, and if someone is unhappy with their life it within their given rights to take it away. in some cases it is cowardly, but the unknown after death is pretty scary, and its brave to try and move on.
so.. there’s a thought.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:30 am
Has anyone here seen the documentary ‘The Bridge’? It features real footage of suicides and suicide attempts from the Golden Gate Bridge. Some of the footage was incredibly disturbing, some was incredibly moving, such as a photographer who managed to save a girl’s life by reaching over the bars and grabbing her before she fell.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:30 am
WOW, this list was so darn depressing!!
My girl friend has two friends that both are suicidal, it’s one of the things that make her life dificult. I wish they would just leave her alone or go back to being normal. I wonder if there is something we can do to put some sence onto them??
October 15th, 2008 at 6:50 am
A close friend of mine (who I live with) is bipolar and recently attempted suicide by taking pills. He then made himself throw up because he regretted it. Just a few days later, I had to talk him back from suicide – holding him in my arms for hours, consoling him.
He’s not taking his meds, which doesn’t make any sense to me. He’s studying to be a psychiatric nurse and has worked on psych wards for years.
It’s really difficult to live with him. It’s like I’ve to walk on eggshells the whole time.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:53 am
If you are fasinated by this list than you should rent and watch a documentary called “Bridge”. Its a documentary about suicides off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco and The number one on this list is in the documentary! Its a great compelling, and morbid documentary that will really open your eyes.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Wonderful list! I’m glad a good portion of them decided they didn’t want to die and correct it. Too bad for that little girl that her mom decided it was time for her to go – she has to live with that for her life. I wish I knew more of their lives after and for those that didn’t save themselves, if they were glad they were still alive.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:05 am
The key to survival in bridge jumping is to go vertical – preferably feet first. Landing head first will crush your cervical spine and you will be dead nearly instantly. Landing flat will usually cause so much internal damage that you will be dead very quickly as well. What this list shows is that suicide attempts by way of bridge jumping is certainly not foolproof – which may end up being a good thing.
As for this particular list (ho-hum), I think it most certainly could have been done much better, with a broader scope of types of suicide attempts that failed. I actually know three survivors of attempted suicide – two drug overdose and one wrist slashing.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Kate(27) I agree.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:11 am
JT – Great but disturbing movie.
I believe Kevin Hines is mentioned in the movie. In fact, I believe he mentioned that after he asked God to save him, dolphins or seals showed up and kept pushing his legs and feet upwards as if keeping him from drowning, because he was pretty much unable to do so on his own. That guy’s story is pretty amazing. I believe they also talk to his dad as well.
I recommend that movie to people only because that movie demonstrated there were so many signs/indicators/warnings people give before they try to commit suicide. I just can’t believe how clueless some people were.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:16 am
In South Africa a notorious suicide bridge is The van Staden bridge in Port Elizabeth, so far 69 people have jumped of it.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:30 am
Fascinating list, Blogball. Good representation of places *other* than the Golden Gate Bridge.
During the early years of my illness, before my meds had the pain under some sort of control, I did “make mistakes” with my med dosages on two occasions. Both times I ended up in hospital, sick as can be, in another plane of existence mentally, but alive. Then I was angry, no…angry would indicate I had enough energy to have emotions…I was resigned to my fate.
Not long afterward, a marvelous doctor, a pain management specialist, got me on the proper program of meds, and all thoughts of leaving this body behind left me.
I’m glad. Nothing but good things have happened since! Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s because once I was in less pain, and could deal with life on it’s terms, I became a happy person.
Still, I think the analogy is apt here. You get what you give.
If these people’s attitude changed as a result of surviving the they are, indeed, “lucky”.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:34 am
21. ajaxkid: ~I was alone, falling free, trying my best not to forget…Baby, did you forget to take your meds?~
Great list, Blogball.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:59 am
30. Sarzella: Oh, I have so been there. My close friend was diagnosed bipolar after he knocked his girlfriend out and saw demons. My boyfriend and I took him in after his parents moved. He slept for 16 hours a day and didn’t work. He managed to get supported by the state and persued a degree in Art at the local community college, but he still couldn’t drive. He’s driven out several roommates and refuses to chip any money towards productive things (just alcohol, cigarettes, weed, and K).
What you need to understand about why your friend is not taking meds is because of the ‘natural’ high manic-depressives get from the manic cycle. It’s free drugs, really. The depressive cycle is horrible, but in mania they feel invincible. They feel they can command the world, that they cannot be harmed, and that all will be well for them. Imagine overdosing on zoloft- that’s mania.
The best thing you can do for him is be there for him, but don’t enable him. If he feels that every time he falls you will catch him, he will be more likely to take up trapeze. I would start calling helplines or the police if he tries or threatens suicide or you may find yourself stuck in a “give and never receive” relationship, as I was. I don’t know what your friend is like, just a generalization of bipolars, so don’t take offense.
And walking on eggshells was EXACTLY what I told people it was like to live with my friend. I no longer speak to him.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:29 am
I live about a mile from Clifton suspension bridge (which is really in Bristol, not north Somerset) and Bristol coucil have gone to great lengths to prevent any further suicide attempts being made from it. In theory it appears to working too; there have been very few, if any attempts in recent years and certainly no success stories, thank god.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:53 am
‘take your meds’ is only a small part of being well…isolation, poor nutrition and lack of purpose all affect mental health negatively. A person who stays connected to family and friends, has access to at least one balanced meal a day, and has meaningful activity in their lives do much better, FEEL much better than those who do not, whether or not meds are on board. Medications often cause sexual dysfunction, which to a young adult male can be devastating, and is often a ‘deal breaker’. With the mental health supports being overwhelmed, undervalued and unfunded, it is difficult for those who are struggling to find the help they need. Many are battling with concurrent disorders, meaning they have both mental health and addiction issues, and too many ’systems’ will not offer support for one if the other is present.Add poverty, a family history of suicide(this role modeling increases the chance of a suicide attempt by a factor of 9) and lack of decent housing to the mix, and it stops seeming such a selfish choice, in my eyes. Staying alive and connected appears a super-human feat, and one that leaves me feeling humbled on a daily basis.
October 15th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Nice list Blogball – I was depressed and suicidal the other night and called Lifeline. I got a center in Pakistan they got excited and asked if I could drive a truck.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Kate(27):
I’m going to have to disagree with you. Yes, we do have a personal right to do what we will with our lives. But to suggest that suicide doesn’t affect the rights of others is ludicrous. Suicide affects many lives, not just the one that was taken. Their family and friends have been deprived of the right to love and care for that person. People who are left to “clean up” after a suicide, whether figuratively or literally, have had their rights affected and lives forever changed. I don’t think it is “brave to try and move on.” I think it is the most cowardly and selfish thing a person can do to those who love them.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:11 am
@ 27: Kate
“suicide does not do that, and if someone is unhappy with their life it within their given rights to take it away.”
Being suicidal is a mental illness – something has to fester in their minds long enough to disable them from making rational decisions and function normally in society. It is an illness, meaning the person is not capable of making rational decisions – in this case, it isn’t “in their rights” to take their own life. Legally, in schools and places of employment have to intervene with a suicidal person – if it was their right to end their life, why would intervention be part of the law?
I must strongly disagree with your statement – suicide is NOT part of their rights.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:22 am
I was born in Hull (place where Humber Bridge is – number 5) I had no idea so many people had attempted suicide from there. I’ve been across that bridge so many times, it’s a very long drop into freezing cold water (right next to the North Sea). I can’t imagine surviving that.
October 15th, 2008 at 9:41 am
wacaroo: they both seem really UNLUCKY! the girl lost her legs and the guy his eyes!
October 15th, 2008 at 9:51 am
I think what Kate was really getting at, especially insofar as different cultures/societies are concerned, is that suicide can be the honorable thing to do. Rather than face criminal and/or social repercussions in a society that looks down hard on cowardice, failure and/or loss (in battle for example), the taking of one’s own life is seen as the proper way of ending/completing the bad situation. Granted, there are many other reasons and situations where suicide may be appropriate in a given society – not that we all agree, obviously – and it is within the rights of the individual to carry out such a decision in the manner most suited thereto.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:16 am
“Is there such a thing as an UNlucky suicide survivor?”
If anything, I would think failing to do what you set out to do (kill yourself) is unlucky!
October 15th, 2008 at 10:20 am
“can there be a more selfish act?”
Of course it depends on the circumstances of the suicide, e.g. is the person abandoning people who depend on him/her, but yes, there are potentially countless numbers of arguably more selfish acts.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I definitely disagree with the name of this list. If they were attempting suicide, maybe they don’t consider themselves lucky at all… I know about your views on suicide Jamie, but I still think the list’s title is a bit… off.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:23 am
JayArr(47): I can understand what you are saying within other cultures and time periods. This list, however, deals with people from more modern times and a western culture. The people mentioned in this list had either mental illnesses or selfish desires behind their actions. Kate touches on other cultures briefly but then turns it to “our society” which I took as referring to a modern, western society. I stand behind what I said. Although it may sound cliched, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem that would be more appropriately dealt with through counseling and medications.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:23 am
This should have been survivor’s from hights, What about all the people who shoot themselves in the head and survive, or throw themselves in front of trains, That would be a good list.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Ummm, the Clifton Suspension Bridge is in the city of Bristol, which is not in North Somerset.
Aside from that, yeah, the story is local folklore around here.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Cheeshygirl(51) Certainly, I understand full well. I have a friend who’s on and off his meds all the time – he goes for weeks talking about suicide, but never takes the final step, which is good (for the most part) for his wife and young son. Like many, his problem is chemically-related, and no amount of counseling by itself can hope to solve the problem. Only a well orchestrated combination of drugs and therapy work for him at all – and when he refuses to go to therapy and stops taking his meds, life is truly hell in his household. My wife and his wife are very good friends, and the question of divorce is ever-present because of his personality changes, attitude and behavior… not something I’d like to be directly involved in, and my wife and I fear for ‘her’ and their child every bit as much as we do for him.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Thanks for the comments everybody. In this list I tried to combine some of the more popular suicide sites and individuals that survived that particular location. (kind of 2 lists in on) This is why I didn’t include any other forms of suicide. It’s often difficult to get details or even names on attempted suicide stories so some of descriptions were limited. As far as “lucky” or “unlucky”, I think if you were to ask most of the survivors on this list they would tell you that they are fortunate to have another chance at life and are lucky to be alive. If you were held up in traffic and missed your plane and it ended up crashing I don’t think you would call yourself unlucky because you missed the plane.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Cheeshygirl
What about terminally ill patients who choose to commit suicide rather than face the (usually) painful ordeal of dying. Personally I think in that situation the person should have the right to end their life if they have no possibility of recovery.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:01 am
October 15th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Technically wouldn’t they be unlucky?
October 15th, 2008 at 11:03 am
Marv in DC(56): That is an entirely different subject that many have commented on under the Your View about euthanasia. I don’t believe it is relevant to the topic at hand.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Cheeshygirl
Why? It is a form of Suicide. The reasons behind it may be different but it is still a form of suicide.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:08 am
If anyone currently reading this list is having suicidal thoughts of their own, I hope these websites help.
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
http://www.psycom.net/depression.central.suicide.html
http://www.save.org/
http://www.afsp.org/
October 15th, 2008 at 11:43 am
27. Kate. Well said, I agree with you.
43. Cheeshygirl: “Their family and friends have been deprived of the right to love and care for that person.”
To love and care for someone is not a right, its a privilege. You cant live your life just because other people want you to. You decide yourself if you want to continue to live or not. How can it be any other way? And who is going to stop you?
How can the survivors lives matter to you, when you are already dead? You are non existent. Its like saying that you worried a lot about how people were doing before you were born. You didnt exist then!
44. FifthSonata: “Being suicidal is a mental illness”.
Some people who commit suicide are mentally ill, but that doesnt make the act a mental illness. People can have a perfectly sane reason for ending their lives, for example non curable painful diseases. Or simply refusing to suffer because their body and mental capacity break down of old age.
For me this issue is simple. Im going to keep having a good life for as long as I can. Im gonna fight hard to reach my goals. But when life gets way too rough, Im gonna end it. I prefer non existence to insufferable pain.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Now I want to know what happened to all these people after the fact.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Marv in DC(60): Because we are discussing non-terminally ill individuals. Euthanasia IS a form of suicide but comes from a very different perspective than those the list refers to. I was just trying to keep this list on track and did not mean to dismiss your opinion.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:51 am
i live next to beachy head and didn’t realize it had over 500 suicides! jesus!
October 15th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Im not meaning to be offensive to you people here, but if I saw someone trying to jump off a bridge, I would not try to stop them. Who am I to judge their motives? Its their own right to do what they want to do. But if they actively wanted to talk to me, then for sure I would talk and try to help them.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:56 am
You missed the Viaduct in Toronto, Canada. That bridge had a ton of suicides. At one point it was ranked second only to the Golden Gate Bridge, with 400 suicides. Anyways, here’s the article on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Edward_Viaduct#Suicide
They built a barrier a couple of years ago and apparently no one has jumped since then. So I guess that’s why this doesn’t make the list. :/ But it has a pretty suicidal history.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Marv in DC – just to clarify a little – euthanasia is virtually guaranteed success, most often with assistance. Much different, as Cheeshygirl points out, than the nature of this particular list’s core focus.
October 15th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Or maybe no one was ever “lucky” enough to survive a jump… Oh well, it is still a well known suicide bridge.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
B-on(62): I am not going to argue semantics with you. You knew what I meant. It IS up to an individual to decide if they want to live or die. That does not make it any less selfish or cowardly.
“How can the survivors lives matter to you, when you are already dead? You are non existent. Its like saying that you worried a lot about how people were doing before you were born. You didnt exist then!”
This is just ridiculous. The decision to end your life is not made after you die. It is made with the knowledge that you will be hurting the ones who love you, often with the intent to do so, before the act is ever initiated.
And again, I am speaking about the topic of suicide as it pertains to the list, not euthanasia. I do not consider it a selfish or cowardly act when a person is suffering from a painful, terminal illness but that is not the topic at hand.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
I tried suicide twice.
Once at 15, but the rope snapped and I took it as a sign.
The other time at 16, like in no.1 on this list, I sat on the railings, crying for 25minutes and noone stopped or anything, I wasnt looking for attention, but it kinda just assured me of what I was doing.
The only reason I got down was because my dog found me. Very strange, but he then kept barking and whining, so I hugged him for about 2hours!!
DiscHuker (commment 23) yes in some cases suicide is selfish, people can act on a whim, can act in spite of others, but not always.
Id say overall, suicide is not selfish, and its insensitive to say that it ultimately is.
I suffer from depression, was sexually abused as a child etc etc I dont think that what happened to me as a young child is any excuse not to get on with my life, but there are other things I am trying to deal with, that others dont understand and may not see, attempting suicide is not selfish when youve been experiencing crap for most of your life.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Cheeshygirl
I also wasn’t trying to offend or nitpick about this subject. For the record I do recognize the huge difference between euthenasia and suicide brought on by mental illness or depression. I absolutely think the latter should be prevented and treated if at all possible.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
always tell them to do a flip
October 15th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
I live in kingston upon hull (location of number 6) and I remember that happening and thought it was pretty mean to kill yourself and your daughter when she had done nothing wrong. If anything she should be killing him.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
And I also was unaware that the Humber bridge had had 200 suicides!
October 15th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
I just think that the subject of suicide is viewed in so many different ways by so many different cultures, that it is hard to view the topic without certain prejudices coming into play regardless of ones feelings about it.
There were and are cultures that beleive that suicide is an honorable action to be taken. (I am not saying I agree with this) Many times I think this view follows more of a euthanasia aspect. Meaning that the individual is not mentally ill and therefore irrational in making the decision. I think in these cultures it is a rational decision to not have to face the alternative. (such as losing face or ones honor.)
I think in a more western culture this not the case. In a more western culture it is more often viewed as an irrational act that is brought on by mental illness and therefore should be something that can be prevented.
typing this made me wonder about something. I was wondering whether a cultures views on suicide correspond to the perception of the individual in that culture. In cultures where the individual is viewed as secondary to the society, is suicide considered more acceptable? Whereas in a society where the individual is considered as the most important, is suicide looked at as a preventable treateble act? I’m not trying to anger anyone with this, just spitballing.
October 15th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
B-on:
“Im not meaning to be offensive to you people here, but if I saw someone trying to jump off a bridge, I would not try to stop them. Who am I to judge their motives? ”
Hmm, well, I hope you apply that logic to your entire life. If for example if someone threatens to shoot you, be sure not to stop them, you shouldn’t judge their motives. Or if they are planning on breaking into your house or apartment and steal your belongings, honestly, who are you to judge their motives? How dare you ask someone else to live responsibly and/or be responsible for their actions?
Honestly, this is probably the most ignorant reason for not helping someone. I don’t mean “dumb,” I mean simply ignorant as in uneducated. You are assuming the person is in a cogent state of mind and/or is planning on following through. Many suicide attempts are just that – attempts. They are desperate for someone to notice them, reach out, help. And honestly, if you were to just talk to someone planning on jumping off a bridge, what’s the worst that could happen? I mean, other than interrupting your own precious existence for a few moments, what is the worst that could happen? They might live? Not listen to you?
October 15th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Schuman shouldn’t have been so lucky.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
# 66. B-on : I don’t understand that logic either. If you had someone you loved that was going to commit suicide wouldn’t you try and stop them? The person that you would ignore I’m sure has loved ones too except their loved ones are not there to stop them. Wouldn’t you be appreciative if someone took the initiative to stop one of your loved ones from killing themselves if you were not around to stop them yourself?
October 15th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Suicide is unfortunately the leading cause of death among the friends I have made in life. Partly it’s because I just haven’t lived long enough to have seen more friends die from the “usual” causes such as cancer. Automotive accidents rank second among the people I have had to bury.
But far too many people I never would have thought to be suicidal have taken their own lives. I would have been glad to help any way I could, but I can’t read minds.
I’ve thought about suicide a few times over the decades, but only as sort of a mental exercise — there is no way I’m going to miss out on what come next by ending it all. Life is too much of a bizarre trip not to hang around and see what happens.
All of that said, since the list is pretty much about surviving falls into water, that’s what it should have been entirely.
Which would be pretty cool for me because I have purposefully jumped off a bridge! Not with thoughts of suicide, but with thoughts of making certain I hit the deepwater channel between bridge supports I knew was there rather than smashing into a pile of barely-submerged rocks.
It was the 14th Street bridge linking Arlington, VA and Washington, DC (famous for the Air Florida crash). A buddy and I were walking across it, on our way to go fishing on the DC side. He said something about how it would be certain death… but I had previously boated in the area, and KNEW I had clear deep water right below us. And that bridge is only a little higher than some European diving platforms I have lept from. So I said “Here, hold this” (my fishing rod) and hopped over.
All the way down my only focus was on breaking the water cleanly so that I wouldn’t break things in my body. With toes pointing straight downward, I managed an excellent vertical entry and then focused on not bottoming out. I surfaced, completely unharmed, and swam to DC.
West Potomac Park is on that bank. Lots of tourists were around, as well as locals fishing. Everyone thought it was a suicide attempt, and the park police had been called. My firend, not knowing what else to do, ran across the bridge in the direction I was swimming, wondering if and how he should try to rescue me.
I explained everything and we went fishing. Luckily it was summer; being wet was actually pleasant.
Bottom line to the forlorn: all is NOT lost, and if you change your mind on the way down, POINT YOUR TOES and enter as near totally vertical as possible.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
ae51, thanks for publishing those. Someone may have need of them. That was very thoughtful of you.
I’ve heard of many people who have survived suicide attempts that should have killed them. The worst was a kid who was 15 (I think it was a suicide pact with a friend who died) that I read about in a book who blew off the lower half of his face with a shotgun. And lived. Imagine what that looked like.
On second thought, don’t.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
What troubles me the most is number one. Where he stood there for 40 minutes and no one even talked to him. This reminds me of a story I heard where a man walked to the golden gate bridge to commit suicide but said that if one person smiled at him he wouldn’t jump, and no one smiled at him. This is such a horrible commentary on our culture. We have become so involved in ourselves that when other people need our help we don’t even notice them. I find this sad and depressing.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Number 13, and number 26 about someone being blown back onto/into a building by an updraft – send that to the Mythbusters!
October 15th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
I’m surprised not to see Niagara Falls on here.
Having grown up there, I know what most probably do not:
That there are suicides there nearly every week.
With the new casinos steps away, it’s an easy exit for those unfortunates.
October 15th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
#62 – B-On.
Marv in DC (#72) better elaborated my point -
“I think in a more western culture this not the case. In a more western culture it is more often viewed as an irrational act that is brought on by mental illness and therefore should be something that can be prevented.”
Suicidal acts are the result of a mental illness.
B-On, you say you wouldn’t help someone unless they stopped to ask you for help – how is a person going to know you care enough to help them if you don’t make the effort? The majority of these people are too ashamed and embarrassed to confide in another that they are struggling – instead, directing their problems inward or through another facet in their life (maybe through aggression, excessive crying, insomnia, apathy, etc.)
#81 – Mabel
In college, I learned of a former childhood friend whose father attempted suicide by shooting himself under the chin (using a shotgun)- he was unsuccessful and instead lost half of his jaw, neck, teeth, and part of his nose.
Not only is man person going to have to face his mistake every day, he’ll see it in the eyes of his children and loved ones.
If we are to take anything from this list, I hope it’s compassion and helping our fellow man – whether or not we all agree if suicide is “right” or “not,” we can see how much the acts or caring and love impact the world around us.
I’ll step off my soapbox now…
October 15th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Excuse me, I meant “not only is *this* man”…
October 15th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I’m suprised that this list is comprised solely of jumpers. there have been many other suicide attempts by other means as well. perhaps for another list???
October 15th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
87. joebecca See comment # 55
October 15th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
misnamed list, this is suicide JUMP survivors, not one about the guy that lived through a gunshot to the head (lobotomizing himself to the degree it cured his depression in the process), nothing about hangings, epic overdoses… just jumpers, which is actually a very rare form of suicide.
And at the first poster, asking if there are “unlucky” suicide survivors? Listen to “Blasphemous Rumors” by Depeche Mode…
October 15th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
suicide is like a box of chocolates,you never know what kinda landning your gonna get.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
read all about skyway bridge jumpers:
http://www.jumperpool.com/
October 15th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
you can watch “the bridge”, a movie about suicides off the ‘golden gate’ bridge. watch it free here:
http://www.jumperpool.com/splash/ggb.htm#thebridge
October 15th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
very good list, these people are lucky getting a second chance, i’m glad to hear that most of them are spreading the word about suicide. everything happens for a reason, and their reason to live was to prevent others from doing such things.
October 15th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
there so many bodys under the west gate melbourne australia that they land on each other now..
October 15th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I have suffered from major depression for most of my life. In my younger days, I attempted suicide several times. Now that I am older and wiser (and on good anti-depressants), I realize how very much I would have hurt some people if I had succeeded. I had a troubled family life, but I always ADORED my nieces and nephews. It would have been a horrible trauma in their lives if their beloved Auntie had killed herself. I also have very dear friends who would have been devestated.
Please, if you are depressed and feel there is no hope for you to have a better life, get some help. Your doctor can try different anti-depressants until you find one that works. There are suicide prevention hotlines in almost every city. If you can’t afford to pay a counsellor, try to find a church who will give you free counsel. Remember the people who would be hurting for the rest of their lives if you succeeded, because they love you. There is always SOMEONE who will care if you keep looking. Life is a precious gift, and we don’t know for sure what happens when it ends. Try giving some of your time to those less fortunate than you are, in a mental health facility, a soup kitchen, or a program for at-risk kids. This can help to give your life meaning. As long as there are good people trying to help others, there is always hope. I know, because I found my new hope that way.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
IMHO i do not agree with suicide and most definately would try and stop someone attempting to end their life. anyone who would not do this is far more selfish than any suicidal person.
In saying that i do believe that every person has the right to do what they like when they like with their lives. if they decide it is all too hard then that is their decision. No one has the right to force some one to live, they can help and give guidance but to force some one to live could be cruel.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Exactly right Jay, here in Melbourne, the Westgate Bridge is very popular for “jumpers”, not to many live to tell about it, I heard of only 1 that survived the jump.
October 15th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
94. jay & 97. gezzanater…some stats on the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne (from Wikipedia, sourcing a Melbourne hospital study):
At least 62 cases of jumping from said bridge between 1991 and ‘98, with 7 survivors. 74% of jumpers were male, average age was 33, and over 70% suffering from mental illness at the time.
Pretty sad stuff if you ask me
October 15th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
The one that fascinates me most is no 5. There are 4 possible combintions – both die, the mother dies, the child dies, both survive. If the child died, the mother would probably be charged with murder, which might be downgraded to manslaughter due to her own state of mind. Even if both lived, the mother could still be charged with attempted murder. As someone pointed out way back – the daughter has to live with the knowledge that her mother tried to kill her? But then all attempted murder survivors have to live with that.
BooRadley: excellently written and best wishes for your future. I have had fleeting thoughts of suicide at various times, and my nieces and nephews have always been my first thought.
As I mentioned in another thread, a man from an upstairs apartment jumped on Sunday morning. We woke up to police cars and ambulances in the car park.
October 15th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Please, If anyone has any doubts about life please call a depression or suicide hotline.
Here are some numbers:
1-800-SUICIDE
(1-800-784-2433)
1-800-273-TALK
(1-800-273-8255)
October 15th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Interesting list, although I would add Ed Gallagher to it.
http://www.outsports.com/difference/gallagher.htm
October 15th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
interesting list
isnt suicide illegal though?
October 15th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
hmm all but one were bridges, so note to self dont try to kill your self by jumping off a bridge
October 15th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
lol i love how 3 of those were in NY
October 15th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
astraya, I remember that comment a couple of days when you mentioned someone jumping off the building where you live. It really resonated with me because I was ight in the middle of working on this list.
October 16th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Excellent list Blogball!
Every time I go running on the Golden Gate bridge I see so many families/people cherishing this engineering marvel and the wonderful view from the bridge, but then suddenly this thought that one day I would pass by a depressed soul without realizing what he/she is about to do, and just like that his/her face would be imprinted on my memory forever.
I wonder whether it takes more courage to keep living on or to take your own life. I would say that the thought of taking your own life and then executing it takes almost as much courage, if not more, than to keep on living. The reason I say this is because there is a finite amount of time involved between this thought first occurring and the execution of it, and that is where you have to be really strong to carry it all the way. Or is it easier as you are left with no other option(s) (or so your brain tells you)?
I usually try to avoid running on the bridge when I am really down but at the same time I cannot stop running…from myself.
October 16th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Where i come from suicide is quite rare.This is probably because of our strong culture and ofcourse religion.We have adherents of Christianity and Islam.Anyway we generally are not suicidal people.But then we have been referred to as the happiest people in the world.A word of advice suicide is never the answer,it leaves loved ones hurt and unhappy.I think it is a very selfish act.
October 16th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
JayArr, thanks for the support.
Cheesygirl,
You agreed with me that it is a personal right. You disagreed that it didn’t effect the lives of others – but because they couldn’t love or take care of the person anymore, which is not a right, it’s a privilege. That includes being sad, troubled, or having to “clean up” a suicide.
Seriously, though, it’s not a great thing. And I’m certainly not advocating it.
My original response probably should have included… There is a more selfish act: Wanting a troubled person, who wants to just end it all, to stay alive so you won’t have to be grieving. Besides, you can still love them when they are gone.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:26 pm
I couldn’t agree any more with Kate.
I think in more than one ways you can equate suicides to euthanasia in later you know for sure that there’s no way out (and you are so incapacitated that you cannot end your life yourself) whereas in former you are blinded by your singular thoughts and cannot see the way out even if it exists.
I feel suicide is more of a foolish act than a selfish one.
October 16th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
Yeah, I sympathize with the survivors,as I am one myself. Slit wrists.
@ knight_forked (# 109):
Have you heard of a move called ‘The Sea Insdie’? It’s a Spainish film about a man named Ramon Stempido (sp on last name might be off). He was a total quadtraplegic and avocated for the right to die his entire life. Beautiful film, but sad.
October 16th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Sadly, I have attempted suicide quite a few times- overdosing on various meds. I have a diagonsis of bipolar disorder but the depression has been a battle since I was 12- the age I was the first time I attempted suicide. I’m 25 now and I don’t understand what my deal was then ’cause life is a HELL of a deal now!! I’m very lucky that because of the multiple overdoses I have taken through the years since then I don’t have any ‘damage’. I don’t have digestive problems yet- but they could be an issue at sometime and no major nervous system problems yet either. All my overdoses were on meds that were suppose to be treating my depression. Only once in high school I had to have my stomach pumped because my body couldn’t handle the attempt. My dad watched me come so close to dying- and seeing the doctors run to me while I heard the heart/oxygen machines beep louder and me just wanting to go to sleep- gives me something to think about to this day. All my other attempts I would take a bunch of pills, go to sleep, and wake up incredibly sick and cry that I woke up. It is an awful feeling to attempt suicide and not succeed if that is suppose to be the desired outcome. Another failure.
I’ve learned better ways to deal with my emotions. I’ve been writing jounals since I was 12. While in a treatment facility at 12(I’ve also been to them a few times)- my doctor thought it would be a good outlet and something I try to think about when I’m upset and in the ‘heat of the moment’. I keep photos up of my family in my house so I can see why I don’t really want to hurt myself and them deep down inside.
Someone important once told me:”Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”, and to also remember “This too shall pass”. Repeating the Serenity prayer and adding ‘just for today’ at the end is better then trying to count seconds for those deep breaths.
October 17th, 2008 at 6:39 am
goof_ball(102) While attempting suicide is not punishable by law in the US, committing suicide is a capital offense…
October 17th, 2008 at 9:18 am
65. carl
I once visited Eastbourne for a schol trip and I can assure you that it is pretty obvious that Beachy Head is a suicide hotspot. As far as I recall they had a prominent telephone box at the top with a sign saying ’suicide is not the answer’ or something similar and apparently the phone had a direct link to the Samaritans. Not to measure the many signs or boards, scattered at the top of the cliff urging people not to commit suicide. Since we were there to have a look at the amazing views, it was quite surreal to be surrounded by such darkness. :s
October 17th, 2008 at 9:40 am
Number 8 and 3 would be the scariest bridge for me to jump off, just based off the height alone. I’m terribly afraid of heights , so those people that had the courage to jump must have had some serious problems. Funny thing though, is that when i am up high and looking over an edge , i feel something pulling me down. Does anyone else experience that?
October 17th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
cymplyirziztbl @114: “i feel something pulling me down. Does anyone else experience that?”
Yes I feel that too…it has something to do with what Galileo called Gravity
October 17th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Sometimes I eat sticks of butter.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
On our honeymoon in 1979 we visited San Francisco and took a walk on the GG bridge. Looking down in the water right below us we saw the Coast Guard using giant hooks to pull the body of a jumper from the water where it was being bashed into rocks.
October 17th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Also, I have a bipolar daughter who has attempted suicide many times. When she hears of someone who has actually done it, she is happy for them.
October 18th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Do you think that during the great depression all of those jumpers were “mentally ill”? No. Sometimes people have a reason that follows cohesive thought. Thinking about living in poverty for the rest of your days sounds as bad as some as a terminal illness. Or even working for the lousy corporation forever because you’re up to your neck in debt.
I foresee a lot more jumpers soon.
October 20th, 2008 at 6:55 am
The pope(119) I heard about the rabbit population explosion too…
October 20th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I hate my life. I wish I was one of the people that didn’t make it.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:45 am
Sad Man(121) I used to hate the old cliche “pick yourself up by your bootstraps”, until I had to use it myself.. it really does work. Only YOU can make your life better; just gotta start with small changes in attitude and activities – get out and do something new, interesting and/or different from the normal daily grind. Find something that you like about yourself or the world around you and focus on it when you get to feeling down. Distractions are good things when the mind is wandering in dangerous territory.
October 21st, 2008 at 8:56 am
knight_forked – Does gravity come into play even if your just looking down from up high, in any case thats what i meant
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:21 am
My son was bipolar. But he was also happily married, had a 12 year old child, and was professionally successful. One night he drank too much, had an argument with his wife over nothing, and shot himself. Drunken impulsiveness. What a waste.
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Just goes to show that suicide is never the answer.
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
Great list. Kevin Hines is an amazing young man, I saw his story in the documentary ‘The Bridge’.
October 27th, 2008 at 12:43 am
wow.. most of the suicide is from jumping a bridge..
February 17th, 2009 at 8:25 am
I’ve been facinated with the Golden Gate Bridge since the chilling documentary ‘The Bridge’ by Eric Steel, and have many pictures of it covering my walls. Ever since then, it’s been the only place i’ve wanted to visit… in the world.
Something i’ve memorized – Coreners usual verdict: Multiple blunt force injurys, hitting the water at approx 75mph and with a force of 15,000 pounds per square inch. 85% of people who jump suffer from broken ribs which rip inwards, tearing through their spleen, lungs and heart. Vertebreas snap and their liver often ruptures. A direct virtical decent and impact can result in plunging such a depth, that they drown before reaching the surface.. that is if they hadn’t died on impact.
Well at least i have something to look forward to in my life =/ and if and when that dream falls to peices just like every other, i take comfort in knowing that the Humber & Clifton Bridge is closer to home =]
February 17th, 2009 at 11:41 am
128. Jodie K: If you aren’t seeing someone, and on medication, get that taken care of immediately! Planning ahead for your suicide is not exactly normal behavior.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:01 am
Nice list and stories.
Just had a buddy jump off the brooklyn bridge on tuesday. Another lucky survivor… unbelievable. Powerful stuff.
He’s bi-polar as well. Hard to imagine the ups and downs some people go through.
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:34 pm
Almost all of the attempted suicides were resulted because of familiar or sentimental disputes…
March 30th, 2009 at 5:04 am
I thinks it is extremely selfish to call someone selfish because they want to die, why should someone have to live being so terribly unhappy just so someone else doesn’t have to be sad for a while. That’s selfish.
March 30th, 2009 at 5:10 am
132. Kaylor : Umm, who said that the person who winds up sad won’t go and do something stupid – i.e. Kill themselves – and just cause more of a mess. Suicide is a fruitless and pointless waste of life.
March 30th, 2009 at 5:23 am
133. Mark – But you can’t live saying “well I’m going to suffer with my terrible depression just incase” and to be fair I’m wasting my life being alive. I don’t have a job or friends or money, I can barley get out of bed in the morning and I spend the first half of my day just crying, doesn’t really seem like I’m living my life to it’s fullest potentioal.
March 30th, 2009 at 5:33 am
134. Kaylor : I’ve been through it all before my friend, and I’ve come out the other side. Let me tell you, you feel ten feet tall the day you wake up and notice “I made it”. Try this, it helped me a lot :
http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/
March 30th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Kaylor, depression, no matter how deep and how bad, doesn’t last forever. I know it feels as if it does, but no, it doesn’t. It hurts. It hurts emotionally, and it hurts physically, and there seems to be no escape.
But there is an escape.
See a Psychologist. A Psychologist will talk you through why you are feeling as you are, where it comes from and how you can take back control of your life. He, or she, may suggest you see a Psychiatrist just to get a prescription for drugs to help you through, but the important work is done by you and the Psychologist.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:19 pm
136. segue : Lol, telling a suicidal person that a psychologist is the answer is like me trying to convince Anon that God is real – a very bad idea…
March 30th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Mark, I understand your argument, but the fact that it really would be helpful is still valid.
I have a genetic disease, an extremely rare syndrome that causes constant, deep, severe pain. I was so depressed that I was suicidal. I began to see a shrink, and lo and behold, I overcame the depression.
Hence, my advice.
March 30th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Mark, I agree with segue on this. It works more than you know. Qualified and caring phycologists work wonders, if we just go. That’s the hard part. Going.
March 30th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I’m personally on the fence…and possibly leaning more towards Mark’s POV. Therapy’s effectiveness is really a case by case basis. Goodness knows I had no trouble seeing a multitude of help – a large number of them descended on that quaint little town I lived in for the simple desire to help and my old boss was acquainted with a number of local therapists who saw me. What helped me most? I put on a pair of hiking boots and began to take to the trails. Nature and time were actually the best therapy for me.
134. Kaylor
“I don’t have a job or friends or money, I can barley get out of bed in the morning and I spend the first half of my day just crying, doesn’t really seem like I’m living my life to it’s fullest potentioal.”
Oh sweetie, you basically wrote my recent biography up to March 19. I had spent two years ago in a psychological mess, essentially ran halfway across the country and slowly began to move on only to move back here where my problems simply waited for me, my family doesn’t appreciate me, my talent is useless here, I had two friends that could squeeze me in their schedule once a month, an average of 2 job rejections a week while my father was calling me an unemployed slacker, no real sense of self-value… it was to the point where I couldn’t even control the crying, which made for an embarrassing dinner at a restaurant… This on top of seemingly wistful memories of two years ago when I’ll neatly sum up that I was very close friends with a broken glass jar and how scary it was that I could think back on those memories so wistfully…
What helps? Therapy. Or volunteer work. Or hiking. Or a sports league. Or painting. Or playing music. Or constantly getting rejected by jobs until you find someone who takes a chance on you. Remembering why you kick ass. Thinking back on the happy memories and trying to recreate them in present tense. Finding the courage to crash a shindig and make some new friends. Or finding the courage to be able to do things on your own WITHOUT the crushing sense of loneliness. Perhaps pack up a week’s worth of clothes and move to a completely new vista. The options are limited only to what you feel capable of doing. I freely admit that at my low points, I was so focused on me and how the world revolved around me that I completely disregarded everything else which was really digging a deeper hole for myself, depression-wise. All the options I listed are ways to take the focus of you for a bit and project it outward.
…and I put March 19th as the specific “end date” for me because I was offered a job that day. Even if it’s only part time, a 45 minute drive with traffic and a job not really in my career field, I’m still loving it. Kids fling paint at me (that’s not the job description but it’s happened). One child that enjoyed climbing the shelves of breakables did take five minutes out of his destructive behavior to hug me and tell me his mom’s name. Confused? So was I… Hopefully this’ll prove that despite the crap you’ll have to wade through right now, Kaylor, keep focusing on the positive and eventually you will right your situation. Note I said ‘you will’ and not ‘it will’. The ability to change the situation rests on you and perhaps professional help if you think that’s a viable option for you.
If you want to talk more, send me a private message through forums. Sometimes, it’s nice to have an empathetic shoulder to lean on.
March 30th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Mark, oochan, gabi (even though she claims to be on the fence), and I have all had similar experiences with therapy, and those experiences have all been positive.
I firmly believe that you have nothing to lose by giving it a try, and a lot to lose.
March 31st, 2009 at 4:14 am
Thanks for your kind words everyone, especially gabi319 but I agree with Mark, it may have been a bad experince but when I saw a shrink she made me feel like it was all my fault, didn’t really seem interested, gave me terrible advice, turned up late for one of our sessions(I was only offered four one hour sessions and I’ve suffered from depression for twelve years)and made me feel so bad I couldn’t even go to the last session. Don’t worry though, I’m going to see my doctor tomorrow to hopefully get back on some meds.
March 31st, 2009 at 5:01 am
138. segue : I think it’s good advice, but I made an assumption – which is a mistake around here *facepalm – that Kaylor’s case was more along my lines, emotional/mental distress. I can tell you right now that during the worst of it – and even now while I’m coming back down (up?) – I would have sooner killed myself than talked to a proffesional about it. So it was good advice, to an extent…
139. oouchan : Yeah, I know that’s the hard part, but for a suicidal person being told that that is THE way to fix their problems – or maybe even just the implication that it’s the best way – could be enough to make them do something very stupid.
140. gabi319 : Everything has to be taken on a case by case basis, as you said, which is what I’m proposing. That’s an intersting story, very interesting when I compare that to my own. I was – and still am – extremely lucky to be in a framework such as boarding school because it does for me what a job did for you, gives me something to do. Without school, I find it hard to even contemplate the possible outcomes. I do however also have music, something else you metioned, and it is the most beautiful thing in the world – even if it is extreme metal (interspaced by Buckley and Zeppelin, quite exotic eh?). Also, aren’t we all just empathetic shoulders. I personally would have no worries with giving support here – not to mention that LV was taking up enough of my time as it is without joining the forums
141. segue : You don’t have anything to lose by actually doing it, but being bombarded with the “It will help you” mentality even though it’s the last thing in the world you want to do. Well, that could cause more harm than the positive outcome of actually getting into therapy would be worth, I can tell you that from recent personal experience too sadly enough.
March 31st, 2009 at 5:03 am
142. Kaylor : Took a while to write my last post *phew* so I missed this one. Do what you think you need to, that’s my advice in its simplest form. Do what you think you need to to survive, that’s what I’ve been working on and I’m still here
March 31st, 2009 at 5:32 am
Music helps me alot too, it’s a big part of my life and really helps me. Music means so much to me. Mark – Are you talking about Jeff Buckley? If so I love him, he’s great, his music is amazing…well was. I love rock music and it means so much more too than any pop song ever could, it’s real and I can appreciate that. Thanks again for the advice everyone
March 31st, 2009 at 5:38 am
145. Kaylor : Jeff, who else? Tim? Not quite my thing really. But as I said, my real area is metal/grunge/hardcore because that’s what I play. Jeff’s just my side project, he does have a beautiful voice though doesn’t he? He would’ve been a great Doom Metal singer… Apparently he began his career playing in multiple bands, one of which was – you guessed it – a heavy metal band. Too bad we’ll never know.
March 31st, 2009 at 6:21 am
Lol, I did think of Tim Buckley for a second but no one likes him, his comic strips suck so hard. He really did have a beautiful voice. I love my grunge too and Jeff Buckley definatly had a grunge feel to him, reminds me a lot of Pearl Jam, like a really chilled out Pearl Jam. What were the names of the other bands Jeff Buckley was in?
March 31st, 2009 at 6:33 am
142. Kaylor
It could have just been that one rather bad psychiatrist. I saw a fair share of those as well as a couple of gems. Don’t let one bad egg spoil your opinion of the whole lot. I simply said keep an open mind about all your options. But it seems you’ve at least got a plan of attack by visiting your genprac. Hope things work out!
Re: Pop
I’ve only listened through Pandora so I’m not really sure what I liked but I’ll tell you those were some great workouts…
I’ll confess I listen to pop music…but on RARE occasion do I crave it and usually when I need some mindless driving beat to get me through my hour or two at the gym. However, when I only have 30 minutes to spare and want a brutal workout, I might put in the metal or techno.
March 31st, 2009 at 7:13 am
Just so that you know, I tried everything first before going. I couldn’t think that I needed something like that because I had heard horror stories. The first one I went to was this fat slob who I could tell, didn’t care. The second was this very nice young man who helped a lot.
Kaylor….no need to rush out. I took it easy and went slow. It helped me…so did music. Without music…I don’t know what might have happened.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:48 am
I kinda wanna jump off of a bridge but not to commit suicide. I just wanna see what it’s like to hit the water.
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:55 am
150. Bobby: Its overrated! In Henderson, KY there was a water park built on a lake. It had several kiddie slides and such but in the middle of the lake was a large platform. You had to swim out to it. There were 2 trapeze swings that took you out over the water in which you let go to make a big splash. One was 20 feet up and the other was 45. In order to go on the 45 one, you had to dive off the edge of the platform first to show you could do it. Scared the hell out of me, but I did it. Though, because of the scare, I didn’t actually go back to jump off the trapeze swing.
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Bobby: I agree with oouchan. I went cliff diving with the kids this summer. I could only get up the courage to jump at the 25/30 foot level. And I bruised my tailbone when I hit the water. The mind was willing but the body is weak. Here’s a link showing the Elora quarry and my kid’s friends jumping.
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:39 pm
150. Bobby: Hitting the water from a height, unless done correctly, is like hitting concrete from the same height.
When I was growing up we had a swimming pool in the backyard, and it was less than 3 feet from the house. When our parents were away we would climb onto the roof and jump into the water. It was almost always fun beyond description, except for those rare times when there was an accidental belly flop or back flop. Then the pain was so intense the tears just jetted out of your eyes and the entire front or back of your body was red and somewhat swollen.
~ouch~
April 3rd, 2009 at 12:48 pm
153. segue: ouch is right! I am feeling it just from your description! I hate belly flops.
May 2nd, 2009 at 2:45 pm
It really saddens me hearing these stories. However I can identify with suicidalness, I suffer from a form of bi-polar/personality disorder and trying to get it under control can sometimes feel hopeless.
Also, a girl I know committed suicide last year by jumping off the golden gate bridge, if only she had been one of the lucky few that survived
These bridges should have some sort of barriers to prevent this from happening. It’s way too accessable for people who feel low and that are looking for a way out at the time they’re in a crisis.
September 7th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
I don’t think any of these people wanted to commit suicide. The most telling sign of this is the fact that none of the jumpers waited – until the waters had frozen.
November 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
What of highway bridges? There’s a particular one in LA I heard alot about. RHCP even wrote a song about one in Michigan.
November 10th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Geographical Name Error at No.5
The city is invariably known as “HULL” no one in Britain calls it “Kingston” ever. You should have put its official name “Kingston upon Hull” that is a different matter altogether.