Suicides at Golden Gate Bridge drop 83% after San Francisco officials installed this safety feature

Suicides astatine San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge person dramatically declined since officials installed a immense $400 cardinal information characteristic described arsenic a 'cheese grater' earlier this year. 

A 20-foot-wide stainless alloy mesh now lines some sides of nan 2.7-kilometer span arsenic some a deterrence for would-be jumpers, and arsenic a literal information net.

Since building of nan lifesaving obstruction was completed connected January 1 2024, location person only been 3 confirmed suicides - compared pinch nan estimated 15 to 20 during nan aforesaid play pre-net - a alteration of 83 percent.

Dennis Mulligan, wide head of nan Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, said that landing connected nan nett is designed to beryllium painful.

'It's stainless-steel ligament statement netting, truthful it's for illustration jumping into a food grater,' Mulligan said. 'It's not soft. It's not rubber. It doesn't stretch. We want folks to cognize that if you travel here, it will wounded if you jump.'

Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District spokesperson Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz told The Mercury News this period that nan nett is 'working arsenic intended to prevention lives and deter group from coming to nan span to harm themselves'. 

Work connected nan obstruction began successful 2018 and was group to beryllium completed by January 2021 but has been many times delayed. 

Kevin Hines, who survived jumping from nan building successful 2000, said he is 'grateful' that group moving connected nan task ne'er gave up.

'Had nan nett been there, I would person been stopped by nan constabulary and gotten nan thief I needed instantly and ne'er surgery my back, ne'er shattered 3 vertebrae, and ne'er been connected this way I was on,' he said. 

'I'm truthful grateful that a mini group of like-minded group ne'er gave up connected thing truthful important.' 

Hines is 1 of only 36 group to past jumping from nan bridge, and he's now a termination prevention advocate. 

The nett — placed 20 feet down from nan bridge’s platform — is not visible from cars crossing nan bridge. But pedestrians opinionated by nan rails tin spot them. 

It was built pinch marine-grade stainless alloy that tin withstand nan harsh situation that includes brackish water, fog and beardown winds that often envelop nan striking orangish building astatine nan rima of nan San Francisco Bay.

Suicide attempts person besides declined since nan information obstruction was completed. 

There person been 56 successful interventions this twelvemonth involving first responders aliases span workers successfully talking group retired of jumping, compared pinch an mean 149 interventions needed complete nan aforesaid play earlier nan nett was successful place. 

Firefighters successful some San Francisco and Marin counties person been trained to climb down and rescue anyone who jumps into nan nets. 

Meanwhile connected nan deck, members of a span patrol activity to spot group considering termination and forestall them from jumping. 

Nearly 2,000 group person plunged to their deaths since nan span opened successful 1937. 

Support tin beryllium recovered done nan Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.