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Ten years after approval was given to install anti-suicide nets under the Golden Gate Bridge, construction is finally complete. From the bridge in San Francisco, debates raged for years about how best to “prevent suicides.” Ultimately, due to all the delays, it took more than six years to build the networks.
The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most common places in the world to commit suicide. Since the bridge was built in 1937, at least 1,800 people have jumped around 70 meters into the river from the bridge. Only 39 people survived the fall.
A memorial to the people who died jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge © AP
It quickly became clear that action had to be taken to stop the suicides from the bridge. The manner in which this should be done sparked much debate among residents, politicians and developers.
The nets hanging six meters under the Golden Gate Bridge are intended to prevent people from dying by jumping from the bridge © AP
During the establishment of the networks, the number of suicides fell significantly. In 2023, only fourteen people jumped from the bridge, and in 2022 there were 30. The people who died after the crash jumped from places where the nets were not yet installed.
We want people to know that coming here, if you jump, it’s going to hurt
Dennis Mulligan, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge
Yet people still jumped off the bridge. They first climbed onto the nets, then jumped into the ice-cold water and died. According to general manager Dennis Mulligan, when the nets are in place, the likelihood of people dying after jumping off the bridge is low, but they can be seriously injured: “People who jump on the net are seriously injured.” made of a stainless steel mesh. “It’s like jumping on a cheese grater,” Mulligan told the AP.
Additional measures
In addition to the networks, there are other measures to prevent desperate acts: the bridge is guarded and there are also special telephones that direct you to the emergency services. San Francisco firefighters were trained to climb down the bridge and rescue people from the nets.
The construction of the networks cost more than 200 million euros. That is 130 million euros more than previously stated.
Anyone who has questions about suicide can call the toll-free number 1813 or visit the suicide hotline website.
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