Golden Gate - Under the bridge

I love suspension bridges. To me, they are one of the most amazing and beautiful man made structures built (maybe my love for bridges is the reason I married an Ironworker). My absolute favorite bridge is one I have not visited yet, the Golden Gate Bridge. This bridge is one of those beautiful places that people want to visit at least once in their lifetime.

Sadly, it is also a place that people go to end their life.

I first learned of this dark history from a nursing home resident. She was having a lucid day and was unusually talkative. We were reading a war story, and it must have brought up the dreadful memory she had of her brother, who suffered from what we now called PTSD. He served in the military and later jumped to his death from this infamous bridge.

After learning of this incident, I became curious as to how often this happened. I sadly discovered that not only is it a common place for suicide, it is THE MOST POPULAR PLACE IN THE U.S.for one to end their life. There are at least 1600 known suicides that have occurred at the bridge, and this number is likely higher (some bodies are never found, and there isn't always enough circumstantial evidence to confirm a jump). This bridge appeals not only to locals; people come from other states, other countries even to make the final leap. The bridge is a magnet for lonely souls to make one more attempt at making their life count for something- thus becoming part of the legend that is the Golden Gate.

There are other bridges in America that are popular for suicides, such as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida, the George Washington Bridge in New York, the Coranado Bridge in San Diego, and the Aurora Bridge in Washington. Niagara Falls has been a chosen location for over 2000 people to end their lives since 1856. In Canada, the Lionsgate and Patullo Bridges lure the lonely to their doom. There are other "suicide hotspots" worldwide, such as China's Nanjing Bridge, and the Aokigahara Forest in Japan. Unfortunately, these are not the only places; there are many locations around the world known to its locals for death. All over the world, there are places being used to close the book of someone's life, and the numbers are heartbreaking.

With these facts in mind, I wonder two things- first, why the Golden Gate? Perhaps the victims often feel invisible and irrelevant to the world. To become a part of a structural icon's legend makes one noteworthy and no longer someone to ignore. People take notice of their life, and especially their death. One becomes a part of the tragic romance that is a suicide bridge (although the victim doesn't benefit from it; they no longer exist). It's the final act, the last thing one will do in life, and it must be grand.

This brings me to my second thought- why aren't we doing everything possible to cloud the romantic image of a bridge death? Often times, the jumper is looking at the legend and the fame that comes with such an ending. Perhaps they are thinking about the scenery- green hills, beautiful big sun casting its rays on the calm waters. Or they just want to be known for doing something bold and daring, as they know that many have attempted the feat and could not. Whatever they hope to achieve in death, they conclude that a jump from that height means instant death. This is NOT always the case. The same injuries are typically seen- lacerated organs and shattered bones. Some of the jumpers survive the initial impact, however cannot swim to safety due to their injuries and they drown. Some are rescued, but later succumb to their injuries. In other words, the jumpers die, but an agonizing death awaits them following their jump. Nothing romantic about that at all. There have been survivors of the jump, such as Kevin Hines, who recalls a deep sense of regret the moment he jumped, realizing only then that he didn't really want to die. He escaped death, but not without permanent injuries. Imagine how many other jumpers regretted their decision mid-air. Most of them do not do a second chance.

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the many places I wish to visit. The idea of witnessing someone end their life there is a major deterrent. I look at pictures, and I am mesmerized by its beauty; the idea of ending my life there is heavy and unfamiliar to me. I certainly understand sadness and despair. But I could never climb over the railing, take one last look at the sun, and fall deep into the waters of the San Francisco Bay.