It is horrible beyond the most terrifying nightmares that anyone could envision.Īnd there is no turning back after the jump. ![]() In August of 1937, Harold Wobber, a veteran of World War I, strolled along the pedestrian walkway on the Golden Gate Bridge, paused, looked at a stranger and said, “This is as far as I go.” He then jumped to his death.Īnd to the mentally ill individuals who go to the bridge, a jump to the water below seems like a peaceful way to end to their pain.īut it is anything but peaceful. It is appalling that the barrier was not put in place long ago, but arguments about aesthetics, bridge structure, and money have caused an endless morass to the blindingly obvious problem, which is this: The bridge is the equivalent of an easily-accessible, loaded handgun for countless suicidal individuals, and someone needs to take the damn gun away…and that is done by building a suicide barrier.īack in 1937, when the construction on the Golden Gate Bridge was completed, no one envisioned that it would become one of the major suicide sites in the world.īut the suicides began almost immediately. The rail is a mere 4-feet high, and thus virtually anyone can step over it in a second.Īnswer: Because Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer of the bridge, was five feet tall and he wanted to be able to see over the rail, and thus changed the original planned height from 5½ feet to 4 feet.īut regardless of the original height of the rail, why hasn’t a suicide barrier been built? That is, why haven’t they built a high fence that is very difficult, or next to impossible, to climb?Īnswer: There have been seven previous attempts at a suicide barrier, but the bridge bureaucracy precluded any of the plans from actually being implemented. Unfortunately, it is exceedingly easy to jump from the bridge. We lose one person about every other week to the waters below, as the bridge somehow holds an allure to people who are suicidal. She is one of some 1,300 individuals who have died by suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Later that day, Marissa jumped to her death from the Golden Gate Bridge. Marissa Imrie was just 14 when she wrote those words as part of her suicide note. “Everyone is better off without this fat, disgusting, boring girl.” The Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge Suicides: Help Save Lives! Please Click Below: DonateĪ young man is talked out of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Survivors Forum - Click for Info! Construction of the full Net is expected to be completed in is a 501c3 NON-PROFIT Organization and Website Contractors (AECOM (legacy Shimmick) and Danny's Joint Venture) began working on the Net in 2017. These additions will slightly diminish the integrity of the historic features, as the Net was not part of the original design. The color and spacing of the support struts are designed to allow the new members to blend into the existing structure in order to minimize the visual impact of this new element. The support struts attach to the vertical members of the Bridge stiffening truss and are spaced every 50 feet, the same spacing as the Suspension Bridge suspender ropes. After the support struts are installed, a horizontal stainless steel wire rope net will be stretched across those support struts. The Net’s new steel support struts are tube sections that will be painted the same International Orange color of the Bridge. The Net will have minimal impacts to the architecture of the structure, but there are some necessary changes with the introduction of this new element. ![]() The selected design allows open, scenic vistas to remain intact, while preventing anyone from easily jumping to the water below. This design was chosen through a public process which solicited input from the community. ![]() The Net will be placed 20 feet below the sidewalk, extending 20 feet out from the Bridge. You have to look carefully to see the gray steel net design in the picture above. It's also been designed to minimize interference with the daily operations and maintenance of this iconic structure. Engineers designed the Net to minimize impacts to Bridge views and appearance. Ultimately, a physical barrier is needed to stop this tragedy. Hundreds more are stopped from harming themselves through the efforts of the Golden Gate Bridge District Patrol, California Highway Patrol, other law enforcement, and citizen intervention. On average, 30 people or more die from suicide here each year. The Suicide Deterrent System, also known as the SDS, is being constructed to keep people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
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