Suicide bridge

The Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea has been nicknamed "Suicide Bridge" and "The Bridge of Death" due to its frequent usage as a suicide hotspot amidst South Korea's ongoing suicide epidemic.

A suicide bridge is a bridge used frequently to die by suicide, most typically by jumping off and into the water or ground below. A fall from the height of a tall bridge into water may be fatal, although people have survived jumps from high bridges such as the Golden Gate Bridge. Medical examiners at the Golden Gate Bridge state that jumpers suffer a gruesome death as their bodies hit the water at about 75 mph, with severe organ damage (multiple ruptured organs) and broken necks, pelvises, etc.[1]

To reach such locations, those with the intention to die by suicide must often walk long distances to reach the point where they finally decide to jump. For example, some individuals have traveled over the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge by car in order to jump from the Golden Gate Bridge.[2]

Prevention

Suicide prevention advocates believe that suicide by bridge is more likely to be impulsive than other means, and that barriers can have a significant effect on reducing the incidence of suicides by bridge.[3] One study showed that installing barriers on the Duke Ellington Bridge in Washington, D.C.—which has a high incidence of suicide[4]—did not cause an increase of suicides at the nearby Taft Bridge.[5] A similar result was seen when barriers were erected on the popular suicide bridge: the Clifton Suspension Bridge, in the United Kingdom.[6] Families affected and groups that help the mentally ill have lobbied governments to erect similar barriers. One such barrier is the Luminous Veil on the Prince Edward Viaduct in Toronto, Canada, once considered North America's second deadliest bridge, with over 400 jumps on record.[7]

Special telephones with connections to crisis hotlines are sometimes installed on bridges.

Examples

Australia

Free telephones linked to suicide prevention hotline installed at the Story Bridge footpath in Brisbane

The Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Mooney Mooney Bridge on the Central Coast (New South Wales), and the Westgate Bridge in Melbourne, Australia and the Story Bridge in Brisbane are considered suicide bridges. Sydney Harbour Bridge has a suicide prevention barrier. In February 2009, following the murder of a four-year-old girl who was thrown off the bridge by her father, the first stage of a temporary suicide barrier was erected on Westgate Bridge, constructed of concrete crash barriers topped with a welded mesh fence. The permanent barrier has now been completed throughout the span of the bridge. The barriers are costed at $20 million and have been reported to have reduced suicide rates on the Westgate by 85%.[8]

Canada

  • The High Level Bridge (Edmonton) in Edmonton, Alberta, is considered a suicide bridge. It is unknown how many deaths have occurred at the bridge, but there have been at least 25 in total, with 10 being from 2012-2013. There have also been many failed attempts at the bridge. A suicide prevention barrier has been installed along with signage and support phone lines.[9]
  • The Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Quebec, is considered a suicide bridge. In 2004, a suicide prevention barrier was installed. Until then the bridge saw an average of 10 suicides a year.[10]
  • The Prince Edward Viaduct, commonly referred to as the Bloor Viaduct, in Toronto, Ontario, was considered a suicide bridge. With nearly 500 suicides by 2003, the Viaduct was ranked as the second most fatal standing structure in North America, after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.[11] Suicides dropped to zero after a barrier was completed in 2003.
  • The Lethbridge Viaduct in Lethbridge, Alberta, also known as the High Level Bridge, locally known as the Deathbridge, is considered a suicide bridge. It is unknown how many deaths have occurred at the bridge in its 107 year long history. Suicide prevention signage has been installed at the entrance to the bridge, however no further prevention program is in development.[12]

Czech Republic

About 300 people have jumped to their death from the Nusle Bridge, in Prague, Czech Republic.[13] Barriers almost 3 metres high were erected here in 1997 with aim to prevent further jumps.[14] In 2007, the fencing was topped off with a 3-foot-wide strip (0.91 m) of polished metal to make it impossible to climb.[15]

South Africa

South Korea

As a suicide prevention initiative, this sign on the Mapo Bridge in Seoul, South Korea displays reassuring messages to potential suicide victims. The phrase on this particular handrail pictured reads: "The wind is really nice."

United Kingdom

  • The Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and was opened in 1864. Since then, it has gained a reputation as a suicide bridge, with over 500 deaths from jumping. It has plaques that advertise the telephone number of The Samaritans. In 1998, the bridge was fitted with suicide barriers, which halved the suicide rate in the years following.[27] CCTV is also installed on the bridge.
  • A notable suicide bridge in London is the Hornsey Lane Bridge,[28] which passes over Archway Road and connects the Highgate and Crouch End areas. The bridge provides views of notable landmarks such as St. Paul's Cathedral, The Gherkin and The Shard. It was the venue for the mental illness campaign group Mad Pride's inaugural vigil in 2000,[29] and was the subject of Johnny Burke's 2006 film The Bridge.[30] When, at the end of 2010, three men in three weeks committed suicide by jumping from the bridge, a campaign was set up by local residents for better anti-suicide measures to be put in place.[31] In October 2015 Islington Council and Haringey Council approved Transport for London's plans for the construction of a safety fence.[32]
  • At the Humber Bridge in Hull More than 200 incidents of people jumping or falling from the bridge have taken place since opening in 1981. Between 1990 and February 2001 the Humber Rescue Team was called 64 times to deal with people falling or jumping off the bridge.
  • Another notable suicide bridge is Itchen Bridge in Southampton, situated over the mouth of the Itchen at its convergence with the Test. The Itchen Bridge has seen over 200 suicides since opening and a Samaritans notice and intercom have been installed.

United States

As a suicide prevention initiative, this sign on the Golden Gate Bridge promotes a special telephone that connects to a crisis hotline.
  • The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has the second highest number of suicides in the world, after the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge,[33] with around 1,600 bodies having been recovered as of 2012, and the assumption of many more unconfirmed deaths.[34] In 2004, documentary filmmaker Eric Steel set off controversy by revealing that he had tricked the bridge committee into allowing him to film the Golden Gate for months and had captured 23 suicides on film for his documentary The Bridge (2006). In March 2005, San Francisco supervisor Tom Ammiano proposed funding a study on erecting a suicide barrier on the bridge.[35][36] In June 2014, a suicide barrier was approved for the Golden Gate bridge.[37]
  • In Seattle, Washington, more than 230 people have died by suicide from the George Washington Memorial Bridge, making it the second deadliest suicide bridge in the United States.[38][39] In a span of a decade ending in January 2007, nearly 50 people jumped to their deaths, nine in 2006.[40][41] At a cost of $5,000,000, a suicide barrier was completed on February 16, 2011.
Suicide hotline on the George Washington Memorial Bridge, Seattle, Washington.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Koopman, John (Chronicle Staff Writer (November 2, 2005). "LETHAL BEAUTY / No easy death: Suicide by bridge is gruesome, and death is almost certain. The fourth in a seven-part series on the Golden Gate Bridge barrier debate". San Francisco Chronicle.
  2. ↑ Friend, Tad (October 13, 2003). "Jumpers: The fatal grandeur of the Golden Gate Bridge". The New Yorker. 79 (30): 48.
  3. ↑ "Draper" (PDF). 2008.
  4. ↑ Akst, Daniel (19 July 2012). "With suicide, when there's a way, there's a will". Newsday. Retrieved 21 September 2013.
  5. ↑ Krauss, Clifford (2003-02-18). "Toronto Journal; A Veil of Deterrence for a Bridge With a Dark Side". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-24.
  6. ↑ O. Bennewith, M.Nowers, D. Gunnell (2007). "Effect of barriers on the Clifton suspension bridge, England, on local patterns of suicide: implications for prevention". British Journal of Psychiatry. 190: 266–267. doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.027136. PMID 17329749.
  7. ↑ Krauss, Clifford (2003-02-16). "A Veil of Deterrence for a Bridge With a Dark Side". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  8. ↑ MICKELBUROUGH, Peter. "Westgage Suicide Barriers Reduce Number of Deaths at Bridge". Herald Sun news. Retrieved 2014-06-15.
  9. ↑ . Edmonton Journal. 2015-08-05 http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Black+Nightmare+century+Edmonton+beautiful+terrible+High+Level+Bridge+been+draw+desperate+distressed/10659025/story.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ "La barrière anti-suicide a prouvé son utilité" (in French). Le Devoir. 2007-09-10. Retrieved 2008-08-25.
  11. ↑ "Bridge Barrier Fails to Lower Toronto's Suicide Rate: Suicide-by-jumping rate at Bloor Street Viaduct lower; rates at other bridges higher". HealthDay News. July 7, 2010. Retrieved July 2, 2013.
  12. ↑ . CBC. 2012-06-04 http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/do-more-to-stop-suicides-off-lethbridge-bridge-ask-parents-1.1275232. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ "Pod Nuselským mostem bude pietní socha připomínající sebevraždy". Novinky.cz. 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  14. ↑ "Nuselský most je hůře dostupný sebevrahům". Prague. 2007-08-15. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  15. ↑ "New Railing on the 'Suicide Bridge' Can't Be Climbed Over". A/B/C Prague. 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  16. ↑ "Another Van Staden's suicide". News24. 2008-08-16. Retrieved 2009-01-13.
  17. ↑ https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-09-27/bridge-signs-used-south-korea-anti-suicide-efforts
  18. ↑ https://soranews24.com/2014/02/26/seoul-anti-suicide-initiative-backfires-deaths-increase-over-than-six-times/
  19. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR_6vgQ6URA
  20. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOfBKvcZuWY
  21. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jYBWBlEd0U
  22. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tynlwqiuMfY
  23. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liQzqLymKj8
  24. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UXqB4HmFMA
  25. ↑ https://www.ted.com/talks/kevin_briggs_the_bridge_between_suicide_and_life/discussion?referrer=playlist-let_s_end_the_silence_around_s
  26. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmoG5GBqMw0
  27. ↑ "Effect of barriers on the Clifton suspension bridge". June 6, 2006.
  28. ↑ "Hansard". 1971.
  29. ↑ Rob Dellar (2002). "Archive Volume 13 > Number 4: 'Believing in Bedlam'". AsylumONLINE. Archived from the original on February 19, 2005. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  30. ↑ "Special Screenings". Rio Cinema. April 2006. Retrieved 2007-05-14. THE BRIDGE UK MiniDV 8mins 8 Director/Producer/Screenplay Johnny Burke There is a 100 year old woman, a serial killer, in North London. Her name is "Suicide Bridge". High above the Archway Road, throwing a heavy shadow over the passing traffic, she assists the tragic people who come for her help.
  31. ↑ "Hornsey Lane Bridge Anti-Suicide Campaign". Hornsey Lane Bridge Anti-Suicide Campaign. September 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  32. ↑ "Haringey Council approves anti-suicide measures for Archway Bridge after 10-year fight". Ham & High. 29 October 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
  33. ↑ "Lethal Beauty: The Golden Gate Bridge is the world's No. 1 suicide magnet". San Francisco Chronicle. October 30, 2005.
  34. ↑ Bateson, John (May 25, 2012). "The Golden Gate Bridge's fatal flaw". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  35. ↑ "Funding Study". GoldenGateBridge.org.
  36. ↑ Koopman, John, Staff Writer (November 2, 2005). "LETHAL BEAUTY / No easy death: Suicide by bridge is gruesome, and death is almost certain. The fourth in a seven-part series on the Golden Gate Bridge barrier debate". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  37. ↑ Smith, Stephanie (27 June 2014). "Funding for Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier approved" (Suicide Barrier on Golden Gate Bridge). CNN. CNN. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  38. ↑ "Jumpers Take It to the Bridge". The Stranger. April 13, 2000.
  39. ↑ "The Online Encyclopedia of Washington State". HistoryLink.org.
  40. ↑ "'Suicide bridge' hurts workers' mental health". msnbc.com.
  41. ↑ Bobrowsky, Olivia (2011-02-15). "Construction of Aurora Bridge suicide barrier completed". The Seattle Times.
  42. ↑ Gibson, Linda (July 17, 1999). "Bridge phones offer a new lifeline (Solar-powered phones have been installed on the Skyway to offer direct help for those contemplating suicide". St. Petersburg Times.
  43. ↑ "Cold Spring Bridge Site of 55th Suicide". Santa Barbara Independent. 2011-02-23. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  44. ↑ "Cold Spring Canyon Bridge". California Department of Transportion, District 5.
  45. ↑ Friends of the Bridge
  46. ↑ Stop the Tragedy
  47. ↑ "STATION POLICEMAN ON SUICIDE BRIDGE". Painesville Telegraph. December 6, 1941. Retrieved July 14, 2013.
  48. ↑ Janiskee, Bob (September 16, 2008). "At New River Gorge National River, an Iconic Bridge Attracts Suicide Jumpers". National Parks Traveler. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  49. ↑ Tyson, Daniel (August 25, 2015). "Man dies after jumping from New River Gorge Bridge". Fayette Tribune. Register-Herald.com, The Register-Herald. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  • "Golden Gate bridge - Graph of suicides per year". San Francisco Chronicle.
  • "Lethal Beauty". San Francisco Chronicle. (A series of articles about suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge.)
  • "National Suicide Prevention Lifeline". suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
  • "Kristin Brooks Hope Center". hopeline.com.
  • Kruse, Michael (May 8, 2010). "Jump from Sunshine Skyway opened door to a second chance". Tampa Bay Times. (A bridge suicide jump survivor invents a prevention device.)
  • "The Skyway Bridge". skywaybridge.com. (Detailed documentation of Skyway Bridge suicides in Florida.)
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