The Bridge - Suicide and the Golden Gate Bridge

While writing a previous article about collapsing bridges in the United States, I came upon this very sad topic and felt it should be touched upon. Not just as an accumulation of the facts (there are many postings that provide that information), but to include, as much as can be researched, the tragic stories of the individuals that felt they had no where else to go...............

The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California sits over 245 feet (from the deck) above the San Francisco Bay. It is one of the most aesthetically pleasing bridges in the United States. The Orange paint alone (used to make it more visible due to the fog) causes the bridge to stand apart and demand attention. Unfortunately, the bridge draws attention for other reasons.

The Golden Gate Bridge, has become the #1 most frequented location to commit suicide in not only the United States, but the entire world. Opened to the public on May 27, 1937, the first suicide occurred in August 1937. Harold Wobber, a 47 year old bargeman and World War I veteran, took a bus to the newly constructed bridge. Along the way Mr. Wobber befriended a vacationing college Professor from Connecticut heading to the same destination. Upon arriving at the bridge, the two strolled the 1.6 mile span. Mr. Wobber tossed his coat and vest to his new acquaintance and said "this is as far as I go." He then climbed over the four foot high side railing, the professor grabbed Wobber's belt, but he slipped free and jumped to his death. Mr. Wobber had been in treatment at a V.A. hospital in Palo Alto, he had been declared "non compos mentis" (a latin term meaning 'mentally incapable of handling one's own affairs, of unsound mind).

Hollywood stuntman, Ray Woods, jumped from the Aurora Bridge (also known as the George Washington Memorial Bridge) in Seattle in 1935. The Aurora Bridge holding the title of the second most popular bridge in the world that people commit suicide by jumping. Ray Woods jumped from the Aurora Bridge and survived without even a scratch. Two years later (some accounts show as late as 1948), full of confidence, the stuntman was not so lucky. He jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge, broke his back and died. In 1971 another stuntman, Frank Orsatti jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge for the movie "B.S. I Love You" (footage of which can be viewed on the recording of the movie) Orsatti did not die from the jump, he lived to be a ripe old age of 62, dying from respiratory failure in 2005.

1948 saw the 100th suicide, Fortunato Ornelar Anguiano, a 53-year old dishwasher, left a note saying "Just bury me in my own land, the one you people take away from us". He walked out on the bridge, borrowed a cigarette from a passerby, lit it, took one drag, leaped up on the bridge rail, flipped the cigarette away and jumped.

1973 saw the insurgence of jumpers vying for the distinction of being the 500th jumper. 14 unassociated individuals showed up that year to claim the title, one even wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with "500" boldly across the front. All 14 were dissuaded from making the jump. That same year, Steven Houg, a 26 year old resident of a Haight Ashbury commune, eluded workers and policemen to make the distinction of being the 500th jumper. The note he left behind asked that his mother not be notified of his suicide, due to the fact that she had a heart condition. Disgustingly, the local TV stations had posted crews on the bridge around the clock to "catch on tape" the 500th jumper. As if this were a notable task being performed, somewhat compared to achieving the Nobel Peace Prize.

John and Erika Brooks of Tiburon, California, mourn the loss of their daughter, Casey. They have been very open about their loss in hopes to prompt the city to install a safety barrier to dissuade jumpers and hopefully save the lives of those that do jump. Casey began life in Poland, the Brooks' adopted her when she was little more than 1 year old. Casey maintained a 3.7 grade point average and had been accepted at Bennington College in Vermont. Yet at 17, in the early morning hours of January 29, 2008, Casey left her home just after 5 a.m. She drove to the north end of the bridge, parked the family car and walked underneath the span to the east sidewalk. Surveillance video showed Casey walked onto the span, smoked a cigarette and climbed over the rail, unto a bridge ledge, stood there for a few moments and jumped. She left a note on an index card on her bed, "The Saab is parked at the Golden Gate Bridge. I'm sorry." Casey's body was never found.

John Dominic Ewing at age 20 took his own life on September 09, 1997 by jumping off the bridge. John had been battling drug use and mental problems. John had made comments to his father about "not being there." Johns' father had tried to seek mental medical help for his son, but to no avail.

February 01, 2005, Jonathan Zablotny, 18, got ready for school and walked out the door to make the six block trek to school. He never got there. At 4:45 p.m., nine hours after he left for school, pedestrians on the Golden Gate Bridge saw a body floating in the water. Jonathan Zablotny had jumped from the bridge, still wearing his backpack. A tall (6ft,3in), handsome boy, Jonathan was well accepted at school. He loved to cook, bicycle and spend time with his parents. Jonathans father, Ray was a long time psychiatrist and his mother,Mary, an artist. Jonathan had a frustrating issue of being a procrastinator (an issue that had begun in junior high school), a debilitating habit that he could not conquer. A few days after Jonathan's body was pulled from the bay, a suicide note was found on his computer, "I'm a coward, I'm taking the cowards way out and it should be honestly said what has happened, I have struggled with the same problem for 6 years and it is painfully honest to me that I cannot overcome it for any length of time and be happy. Jonathan Zablotny."

18 year old Henry Lew, was just weeks away from graduating with honors, yet, he took his own life in May 2007. Henry, who all his life had been what his parents refer to as a "good kid", was graduating from Justin-Siena High, a private school in Napa. Henry was never a daredevil, he did not even like roller coasters. He was so unfamiliar with the Golden Gate Bridge that he did not even know the directions to drive there. What went wrong? All through school, Henry had been a staunch opposer of drugs. Sometime in his senior year, he had been offered drugs, he gave in to the temptation. He tried the drug, Ecstacy, which is laced with Methamphetamine. Henry started exhibiting signs of a meth problem - irritability, insomnia, a rash on his face. His mood swings became noticeable to his parents, who took him to a family doctor that told him that his moods would worsen if he did not stop using drugs. The following weekend was the senior prom, both girls that Henry was interested in taking already had dates. Despite the therapists warning, he took more of the Ecstacy, laced with Meth. But by Tuesday morning, before leaving for school, he seemed to be in a good mood and told his mother he had slept fine the night before. Yet at school, something (no one knows what) upset him and he left school midway through his class. He had gone to the school library to print out directions to the Golden Gate Bridge. At 10 a.m., a friend started receiving disturbing text messages from Henry. The friend showed the messages to school officials. Police were notified as well as Henry's mother (his father was out of town). They knew he was driving down Hwy 101, but did not know where. Eventually through the text messages, Henry finally revealed his location. But it was too late. At 11:45 a.m., a tourist from Louisiana watched as a young man with a smile on his face put his cell phone, wallet and keys on the sidewalk. He jumped up and down like a sprinter psyching himself up for a race, then climbed over the rail. Below, fishermen in a small boat heard a pop and saw Henry floating in the water. They pulled him aboard, found he still had a pulse and rushed him to the hospital. For four hours Henry battled to live, despite severe internal injuries. His mother rushed to the hospital, but he died before she arrived.

On November 18, 2007, photographer Debra McClinton took her own life at the Golden Gate Bridge. Born July 25,1968, she was raised in Ashville, N.C. and moved to San Francisco in 1993. She became a very well known photographer, having her work published in the following magazines: Time, People and Newsweek. She was successful, talented and beautiful. She had a beautiful little girl, Frankie Ray Hollifield. But whatever happened in her life, she felt the pain of it was too much to bear and she jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge in November 2007.

Just three days before Debra McCinton jumped from the bridge, Matthew Whitmer, 20, took his own life. A very handsome young man, Matthew had suffered from schizo-affective disorder and psychotic features. His first suicide attempt was when he was 12. He told his mother about his suicide attempt and was placed in the hospital for observation. After being on medication, he tried again to commit suicide. Yet, after receiving the correct medication, Matthew led a productive life. He was halfway through courses to become a message therapist when he disappeared. As is the case with Casey Brooks, Matthew's body was never recovered. Yet on the afternoon of November 15, 2007, the California Highway Patrol contacted Matthew's family to tell them they had found Matthew's car abandoned in the south parking lot of the Golden Gate Bridge. They were also informed that a spectator had seen a young man jump from the bridge at 6:25 that morning. Later in the day, Matthew's family spoke with one of Matthew's friends who had received a text message from him at 6:23 a.m. saying "peace out", it was Matthews way of saying "goodbye."

Like Matthew Whitmer, Alexander Lyndon Quisenberry suffered from schizo-affective disorder. Born September 13, 1984, Alexander also became suicidal at age 12. He had been in and out of mental health facilities, not staying consistent in taking his medication. Just prior to September 29, 2005, Alexander started hearing voices. Alexander had been observed jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge on September 29, 2005. When his mother went through some of his writings, she found that he had written "end" on several papers and dated them September 28, 2005, the day before he committed suicide.

Not everyone that jumps from the bridge dies, Corneilia Van Ireland became the first person to jump and survive. In 1941, she was 22 and engaged to be married. The reason is not recorded as to why she jumped, she broke both arms and suffered a spinal injury. She spent two months in the hospital and went on to be married.

Roy Raymond started Victoria's Secret, a lingerie boutique. Raymond spent $80 thousand to start his business. When he sold it, just 5 years later, he sold it for $4 million. Born in 1946, Raymond earned an MBA at Stanford. Yet, just 11 years after he sold the business, on August 26, 1993, he took his own life. He left behind two teenage children and an ex-wife.

Olivia Crowther, 23 of England did not act on impulse. She studied out and planned her death. She had been viewing sites on the Internet about suicide from tall buildings and bridges. This was not found out until her parents searched her computer when she turned up missing. As with the others, Olivia had a bright future ahead of her, having just graduated from a University in Sussex, England. She was an English major.
She traveled 5000 miles to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Upon arriving in California, she checked into a hotel on June 24, 2008. She jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge the next day. A dock worker in the bay saw Olivia fall from the bridge, he said he did not see her take a position of jumping, but just falling. He said he could not be sure if her fall was intentional. Olivia's parents said they had no idea that Olivia had been thinking such thoughts and had not seemed depressed, there was no suicide note.

There have been over 1400 suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge (perhaps the number is higher at the time of this writing and not yet publicly recorded) since it's opening in 1937. Of the 1300, there were 26 survivors (statistics from 2006). Two that survived, jumped again and accomplished their sad task. Sarah Rutledge Birnbaum, described as a young woman from Piedmont, California, jumped a first time and survived. In 1988 she again jumped from the bridge, ending her life. Paul Aladdin Alarab, an Iraqi-American, worked as a Realtor in the area, by all accounts he was described as "a nice guy." In 1988, Paul, a father of two, wanted to protest the "plight of the handicapped and the elderly," he had strung a plastic garbage can from under the bridge with a nylon cord, he climbed down into it to seek awareness to his cause. Paul's weight was too much for the cord to hold, it broke, sending him 220 feet down to the icy water. Paul lived to tell of his ordeal. "The fall lasted forever, I prayed to God to let me live." Paul broke both of his ankles, three of his ribs and collapsed both of his lungs. "I will never put my life on the line again", he said after his fall. Yet, on March 19, 2003, here he was again. The now 44-year old was older, not wiser. He had climbed over the railing to protest the killing of civilians in Iraq. Dressed completely in black, including black sunglasses, Paul looped a thick rope over the railing. He clasped a written note to his chest with one hand and with the other gloved hand the rope and leaned back from the bridge, waiting for help to arrive. Several policemen and bridge workers that had been maintaining the bridge at the time, showed up. Paul demanded a television crew tape his announcement. A television crew happened to be in the area recording footage about heightened terrorist concerns, came at once. Paul read his letter on camera, "Wake up America, this will be known as the war of cowards and oil." As the Coast Guard idled beneath in fifty-five degree water, Paul promised he would come back over the rail after speaking with CNN. After 40 minutes, when CNN had not arrived, Paul made one last announcement to the cameras, "I will sacrifice myself as a symbol of children that will die, if you are anti-war, email me at alarabpaul@hotmail.com." At 11:33 a.m. after realizing that CNN was not yet there, Paul set his letter down and placed his cell phone on top of it. He then unwound his hand and stepped back, as the policemen and bridge workers reached for him in vain. His body was recovered quickly as the Coast Guard was in the water below. He was dead when pulled from the water.

At 19, Kevin Hines had been suffering from Bi-Polar disorder, he had not been diagnosed. Kevin's parents did not realize the torment Kevin was under. On Friday, September 22, 2000, Kevin's girlfriend broke up with him. This triggered hallucinations, with Kevin hearing tormenting voices in his head all weekend. All he could communicate to his father about his condition was "I don't want to be here anymore." Sunday night Kevin wrote suicide note after suicide note, finally approving on the seventh try. Monday morning, Kevin's father, worried about him, offered Kevin to come to work with him or take the day off so they could go the movies together. Kevin declined, insisting he was fine and was going to attend school. Kevin's father dropped him off at his college. Kevin kissed his dad goodbye and gave him a rare hug, knowing it would be his last time to hug him. Kevin never attended his classes, he boarded a bus and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge. Once there, Kevin, stood looking over the side, sobbing. A female police officer past him and paid no attention. A woman came up to him to speak with him. He thought "finally someone cares." But she was a tourist and just asked the emotional young man to take her picture on the bridge. After she walked away, Kevin wiped his tears and thought "No one cares." He turned, ran three steps and plunged over the side of the bridge. Midway down, Kevin thought "I don't want to die." Falling at a rate of 86 miles an hour, there was little time to think. Kevin knew he would not survive if he hit the water head first, which was how he was falling. He prayed "God, please don't let me die." He was able to straighten himself to a sitting position just as he hit the water. He hit feet first and plunged down so low that he could not see any light. The darkness was consuming and far more paralyzing than the fall itself. The pain was excruciating, he had broken his back and shattered vertebrae. He was able to pull himself up to the surface, gasping for air. He tried to swim to a bridge pylon, but he was overwhelmed with pain. With every movement, he winced with pain. He felt himself sinking, when he felt something under the water brush upon his legs. Convinced it was a shark, Kevin gave in to the inevitable. He knew he was going to be eaten by a shark. The creature did not eat him, it repeatedly circled him, keeping him afloat. Barely conscious, Kevin could hear cars and horns above. He heard a motor boat approaching, suddenly he could feel hands pulling him out of the water. The Coast Guard had retrieved him. Kevin, diagnosed and on medication, now is in control of his moods. Kevin, so thankful to have lived through his ordeal, is now, a strong speaker against suicide. He is also a strong advocate for the installation of a barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge. Kevin is now married and a father of three boys. A painful reminder plagues him to this day, he has a titanium cage in his back and lives with constant pain. Years after Kevin's jump, a man came forward with some photographs. The photographs showed a large Sea Lion, swimming around Kevin and keeping him afloat. Kevin gives credit to God for saving his life.

While there are so many names and stories behind the lives lost, these are just a few. Each one so precious and sadly missed. They will never know how the world would have been a better place with them in it. Words cannot describe the permanent pain and sorrow that will never go away for their loved ones.

A barrier is much needed to save future lives. The cost of each of these lost lives is absolutley priceless.

The following websites are a MUST to read and study:

http://www.goldengatebridgesuicides.com/GGBS/Recorded_suicides.html

http://www.sanfranmag.com/story/gone

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?f=/c/a/2005/10/30/MNG2NFF7KI1.DTL&object=%2Fc%2Fpictures%2F2005%2F10%2F30%2Fmn_suicide30_year_tt.gif

http://bridgerail.org/

http://goldengatebridgesuicides.com/ADA/ADA_Complaint.html

https://www.findthemissing.org/cases/9952

http://www.facebook.com/events/208168469227715/?ref=nf

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255National Suicide Prevention Lifeline