Ever witness a suicide?

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
About the only similar event that I can actually write about would be...
In 1999, I was working on a barge under the Hayward-San Mateo Bridge.

We were almost dead center under the highest portion of the bridge,(~180 from the bridge deck to the water) when one of my deck hands looked up and shouted something.

We looked his direction in time to see SOMETHING plummet into the water, not 10 feet from the side of the barge...it was a large man who had jumped from the bridge deck in a suicide attempt.

Fortunately, he MISSED hitting our barge.

For those who don't know, the tides in SF Bay move QUICKLY during flood and ebb. He was almost a mile "downstream" from us by the time one of our crewboats found him and fished him out.
Amazingly, he was still alive. Badly hurt with a few broken bones, but still alive.

The boat captain picked me up and we headed into our dock, where the emergency crews were waiting.

I hoisted him up from the boat to a waiting ambulance and (happily) never saw him again.

I remember that. I remember thinking 'wtf about his car? Didn't that cause any accidents?'

 

[eits]

i have no sympathy for people who commit suicide unless they're trying to escape a worse fate or painful death or something

the girl who jumped off the bridge is worthless for doing so

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
[I remember that. I remember thinking 'wtf about his car? Didn't that cause any accidents?'

His car was parked at the top of the bridge...still running. Fortunately, it happened at a time of low traffic flow. Had it happened during rush hour, it would have sucked for those of us who had to cross that bridge.
As it was, it just interjected a bit of "something different" into an otherwise boring day of maritime construction.

 

[eits]

i've seen a couple suicides on video before... one guy shot himself in the temple and the other guy ate his gun. it's strange to see how the body reacts after that happens...

 

[AlienCraft]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
[I remember that. I remember thinking 'wtf about his car? Didn't that cause any accidents?'

His car was parked at the top of the bridge...still running. Fortunately, it happened at a time of low traffic flow. Had it happened during rush hour, it would have sucked for those of us who had to cross that bridge.
As it was, it just interjected a bit of "something different" into an otherwise boring day of maritime construction.

I was working for Journey @ that time, and running all over the Bay Area, so I probably drove past you at some point.
I love checking out the way you guys build on the water like that. Nobody, with the possible exception of the Japanese and the Germans, build them like you guys do.
I got a close up view of the Richmond Bridge project as most of them live on that end of the bay.

 

[Sphexi]

Never saw anything like this myself. A friend of mine watched his father shoot himself through the mouth when he was really young. He was pretty much adopted by a foster family when he was 10 though, and they were really great to him so he turned out totally normal, but I'm sure that still haunts him now and then.

 

[ja1484]

You live in Texas? Christ, my condolences.

 

[mageslayer]

Originally posted by: ja1484

You live in Texas? Christ, my condolences.

:laugh:

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: AlienCraft
[ I got a close up view of the Richmond Bridge project as most of them live on that end of the bay.

Thanks!
I spent 3 years on the Richmond-San Rafael bridge job...made GOOD money on that one. More overtime available than I ever wanted. (normal scheduled work week was 6-10's, USUAL work week was 6-12's and an occasional Sunday with some "tide work" thrown in the mix at least every 2 weeks)
Throw in my drive from Modesto and back (97 miles each way)...and my days averaged 17-18 hours.

 

[DarkWarrior2]

I never actually seen a suicide as it happened, only heard one. But I didn't realize it at the time.

I used to work at a company in the Empire State Building a few years ago, on the 7th floor. As I was working, I heard a loud thump - it sounded like someone had dropped something really heavy on the floor above me.

About a minute later, the office cleaning lady rushes into my work area, frantically telling me that something is going on outside. I couldn't understand her completely because of her strong accent.

So I walk over to a window, and I see a body lying on the 6th floor landing, on a shattered roof tile, blood slowly leaking from his head. The body was pretty much intact, except for one of the feet being impossibly twisted.

It turns out that he jumped from the window of a vacant office space on the 60th floor.

It was quite shocking for me, as I've never witnessed the aftermath of a suicide. The jumper seemed to be in his late teens.

That was quite a day...

Edit: Correction, that was the 66th floor. Link

 

[erub]

I was on my way to go running at the Katy Trail that morning and saw the NB lanes all backed up (SB was fine)..after my hour run I figured it would be all good..nope, took me 40 mins to get home when it only took about 15 mins to get there, weaving thru side streets.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: anxi80
no, but i remember seeing the los angeles freeway suicide on tv in '98.

damn i remember that. they were interrupting my cartoons when it happened.
video here:
http://mediapolemic.com/blog/?p=315

better video:
http://www.nothingtoxic.com/me...Suicide_in_Los_Angeles