Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

SF Studies Bridge Jumpers, Ponders Barriers

New stats on Golden Gate suicides dispel copycat theory

By Heather McPherson,  Newser User

Posted Jul 31, 2007 2:48 PM CDT
Email

(Newser) – After a decade of official silence about Golden Gate Bridge jumpers, San Francisco officials yesterday reversed course and released a study of  suicide statistics, the Chronicle reports.  Having seen a slight increase in suicides in recent years—three people jump each month—officials concluded that it was time to abandon the copycat theory.

The report shows men jump three times as often as women, and that—contrary to received wisdom—most jumpers are locals. Fully 76% of suicides are witnessed by bystanders. Over the bridge’s 70-year history, more than 1,250 people have taken their lives there. The study was released to raise awareness in advance of debate over installing anti-suicide barriers.

A suicide prevention message adorns this beam of Golden Gate Bridge, contributing both to the prevention, and the mystique, of suicide stories on the landmark.
A suicide prevention message adorns this beam of Golden Gate Bridge, contributing both to the prevention, and the mystique, of suicide stories on the landmark.   ((c) David Corby (User:Miskatonic) Wikimedia Commons)
Traffic flows across the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County into San Francisco, Monday, April 30, 2007. While conventional wisdom holds that the bridge is a magnet for suicidal people everywhere, most victims turn out to be locals from a relatively narrow demographic. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Traffic flows across the Golden Gate Bridge from Marin County into San Francisco, Monday, April 30, 2007. While conventional wisdom holds that the bridge is a magnet for suicidal people everywhere, most...   (Associated Press)
The Golden Gate Bridge. Recently released evidence shows that its reputation as a worldwide Mecca for suicide jumpers may be just urban legend.
The Golden Gate Bridge. Recently released evidence shows that its reputation as a worldwide Mecca for suicide jumpers may be just urban legend.   (Rich Niewiroski Jr., Wikimedia Commons)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

more on California's suicide barriers
Santa Barbara Independent

Documentary on Golden Gate jumpers angers many
Newsweek

 
suicide • San Francisco • Golden Gate Bridge • bridge

More Newser Stories

Suicide Nets Set for Golden Gate

Golden Gate Considers a Fence

Skateboarding Icon Commits Suicide

Teen Girl Survives Plunge From Golden Gate Bridge

Teen Jumps Off Golden Gate Bridge, Survives
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne