Yet another West Seattle Bridge suicide

The Aurora Bridge has gotten all the local attention in this sad arena but it may be time for some signs and phones on our bridges too. One of the people who wrote us about the deadly West Seattle bridge jump last week just e-mailed to say “it’s happened again” (she works in the area). The 911 log shows a “7 per rule” call (which usually means life-threatening injury/illness suspected) for that vicinity an hour ago – SW Spokane/Delridge. (1:15 PM update, just received another report from the area, so we’re taking the question mark off the headline). National suicide-prevention hotline: 800/SUICIDE. Local Crisis Clinic: 206/461-3222. Suicide is an epidemic and needs to be addressed, not hidden in shame-ridden reticence to talk about it. If you didn’t read it when we posted it last June, read this 2004 Seattle Weekly article (whose author, Philip Dawdy, has an excellent blog about mental-health issues, Furious Seasons), which addresses it better than anything we’ve ever seen. 1:35 PM UPDATE: Unlike last week’s jump, this one is getting “conventional media” coverage — this story just posted says the person committed suicide after confronting his psychiatrist.

Jiggers October 3, 2007 (1:45 pm)

I said before, board up the bridge to pedestrian traffic. No more jumpers.

k October 3, 2007 (2:19 pm)

it’s time for people to start treating mental illnesses as they do other diseases. it makes me so sad to see this happen, again, to someone so young. mental illness is as real as cancer. there is still such a stigma that accompanies this. my heart goes out to his family. also to the psychiatrist who had to endure this.

Digg October 3, 2007 (3:19 pm)

Drove by at about 1:30 or so and the KIRO 7 news helicopter was in the air over the bridge. Maybe it was for this sad story.

eric October 3, 2007 (4:33 pm)

there ought to be a law!

oh, wait, there is. Let’s put big fences all along the bridge so people who want to take their own lives will have to do it some other way or on some other bridge.

cami October 3, 2007 (4:35 pm)

Komo just reported that a man pulled a gun at a Queen Anne Dr’s office. He didn’t shoot anyone but threatened the Dr. He fled the area and drove to West Seattle, parked on the bridge and jumped.

t October 3, 2007 (5:07 pm)

Tangential, but I have been meaning to ask, do you have a key to the other 911 codes?
4RED – 2 + 1 + 1
Yellow
etc

AA October 3, 2007 (7:45 pm)

I have a proposition: how about some of us making a commitment to stop and offer help if we see someone walking on the bridge? The least that happens is you give someone a ride to the gas station. and maybe you might save a life. I have a hard time believing anyone would walk across the bridge hoping for a ride in order to rip someone off, as there are much easier ways of pulling the samaritan ripoff scam.