The Aurora Bridge (highway 99, in between Queen Anne and Fremont) is the suicide bridge of choice in Seattle. You are able to walk across it on the side walk and can easily jump over the fence off the bridge. Not only do these suicides affect the jumper, they also affect all the people who work and live in the areas below the bridge. On average someone jumps off the bridge every three months.
Recently they have started a prevention strategy, by installing suicide signs and phones that you can dial the suicide hotline. This year they are starting to design new tall fences that prevents people from being able to jump and commit suicide. They will start constructing these fences in 2009.
- On average, someone attempts suicide by jumping from the Aurora Bridge every three months. In 2006, nine people jumped from the bridge to their deaths. This tied 1972 as the worst year on record for suicides from the bridge.
- A community non-profit, Seattle Friends, is working to eliminate suicides from the Aurora Bridge.
- The Aurora Bridge was built in 1931 and is officially named the George Washington Memorial Bridge. The Aurora Bridge has been the site of more than 50 suicides since 1995.
1 comment:
I'm glad to know more about this. Sad that so many people do this, also sad how it must effect the families and the people that have to find the body or that see someone jump, etc.
-Megan
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