Any suggestions? Simply put, means restriction saves lives. He might also have refused to remove the gun from the home, too. None of us can. West returned to the Bay Area for college at UC Berkeley after her family moved from Pleasanton to North Carolina several years ago. T he Golden Gate Bridge is one of the top suicide sites in the world, surpassed only by the Yangtze River Bridge in Nanjing, China.People have jumped off of the bridge for nearly as long as it's been accessible to the public; the first recorded suicide a World War I veteran suspected to have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder took place less than three months after the . Her family is not giving up hope that she is still alive and remains determined to find her. Im here. This is perhaps why only one of Rhodes' three small parachutes opened, doing nothing to slow him down. Seidens study shows that those who encounter a personal, human intervention during the suicide attempt are less likely to end up dying of suicide (though he admits that another big percentage continue self-destructive behaviorse.g., excessive drinkingthat lead to an early natural death), but it says nothing about the efficacy of physical barriers. I had my suicidal thoughts since I was a child I lost my mum when I was 9 years old she took her own life and even now after my attempt I still dont know how to feel about what happened to her and what I have done to my self but I know I will have to find a way to live with the impact of my attempt and hopefully find a way to some sort of happiness, Please seek help, therapy to work through your trauma, it must be so hard to have lost your mum in this way and your nine year old self could only feel abandoned, not enough to have stopped her. I interviewed her parents.https://t.co/tiBGM53NZz pic.twitter.com/lvHh2cCrZg. He once tried to jump off the Aloha Tower in Honolulu only to be thwarted at the last minute by police. West vanished Sept. 30 in San Francisco. You note that installation of a suicide barrier at the Bloor Viaduct in Toronto merely caused people to go to other locations in Toronto to die by suicide. Interviews with jump survivors and potential jumpers . I tried to commit suicide when I was 18. Even though 2/3 are started by women, Virtually every article is written by women. West is 5'10" and slender at 130 pounds, with blue eyes and light brown hair. I hear you. In 2013, 118 potential jumpers were talked down from their attempts and did not jump. I hope you can find peace within. West's family urges anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Scott Dudek, their investigator, who can be reached at 925-705-8328. West, 20, grew up in Pleasanton, Calif. She was a star volleyball player at Foothill High School and loved singing at open mic nights. Copyright 2013 Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, All Rights Reserved. Good luck to you, Joan. I know someone who hanged themself 18 months ago after a buildup of personal problems and much alcohol that night, but rescue services were called and saved him. This research, though 35 years old, still holds true. Rhodes was the 90th person to jump to their death from the bridge in its short 11 year history, but the first who wanted to survive. I am so very grateful now to be alive and I hope to find ways to assist others going through the deep abyss that can sometimes take over your entire being take another breath, and another. She was last seen in long, dark leggings, a teal hooded sweatshirt and slip-on Vans in a dark green and black print. I was driving toward the Hoover Dam bypass bridge from Memphis over 4 years ago to jump off. The San Francisco Police Department's tip line can be reached at 415-575-4444. Many self harm injuries, stitches. Generally, research into method substitution has found that blocking access to a suicide method results in fewer suicides overall, even when taking into consideration those suicides by people who found other ways to die. We certainly do need to continue educating people about suicide prevention, including the reality that most people who survive a suicide attempt choose life afterwards. At the age of 19, Kevin Hines attempted to commit suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, an all-too-common act that nearly always results in death. 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My reason to live is so I dont hurt people who care but what if you have no one who cares there was a time I had no one it was only my stupidity that got the hospital aware of my attempt. He already had refused to get help or to stop drinking. The ongoing survival of people who attempt suicide is not (always) inevitable. But then they are stopped from jumping. At the time of her disappearance Sydney was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs around 130 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes. Sydneyhas not used her phone, social media or bank accounts since she disappeared. I cant get beyond the pain. Missing person: The San Francisco Police Department is asking the public to report any information regarding 19-year-old Sydney West who was last seen on Sept. 30, 2020, at SF's Crissy Field. But I have. I am suicidal have been for the past week. I dont understand why things are suddenly going so well for me though.. Youd think karma would hit me and make my life way worse but I guess the universe wants me alive for some reason? Also, I've authored the books Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals and Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do. I just hope that one day her family will get answers. Millions of eyes are going to locate her better than 20 sets, Jay West said. Have had lots of therapy after that. It is wonderful that having children seems to have inoculated you against suicidal thoughts. In the midst of a struggle with mental illness, Hines got a running start . r/redsox. While living in San Francisco West enjoyed singing and playing the piano for open mic nights around the city. I was determined and had written a detailed letter with instructions for the police and family. Those two have shown some effectiveness at reducing suicidal ideation and behavior. He had lost two fingers in a knife fight on the set of the movie "Scarface." Keep pushing on. For more information, please see our Lets get real here life sucks and its hard but dont give up. Female Representation In The Tech And Startup World: UC Berkeley, Berkeley Asks Residents To Provide Input On Wildfire Response, American Tulip Day & Free, U-Pick-Tulips 2023: Union Square, San Francisco, Rotary Club's Drive-Thru Crab & Pasta Feed 2023: Orinda. The decision collapsed Rhodes sister's claim that her brother was murdered as cameraman Guzman should have been in a boat to pull her brother out of the water. Which will turn into the vicious cycle of no job= no money, and no money = no job. "Jump." That's the word Kevin Hines heard in his head on September 25, 2000, as he stood on the Golden Gate Bridge. Life.church has some really good online sermons I highly suggest that. About his dads suicide, your article helping me a lot to help. Dear Anthony, [feb.6.2019 @9.26am]. At 11:45 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2013 Kyle Gamboa stopped his truck in the middle of the highway, stepped out, ran onto the pedestrian walkway and jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge to his death. For his big ticket to stardom, Rhodes was inspired by a circus performer named Frank Cushing who was plucked out of the bay the previous year after claiming that he had just leaped from the bridge, though no one was there to see it. In the 1970s, a researcher named Richard Seiden wanted to find out what happened to 515 people who came to the Golden Gate Bridge to die within the previous 35 years, but who were stopped by California Highway Patrol officers. I think this message needs to be made more clear and put in ads, etc. Background: Sydney West was born on July 11, 2001. We dont like living in pain, and we look for ways of ending that pain and, being creatures of habit, we do it in old familiar ways because thats what we know. The Suicide Deterrent System, also known as the Safety Net, is being constructed to keep people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Comments RSS Feed, My name is Denis and I live in England I am still recovering at the moment on 22nd of April 2020 I attempted to end my life I jumped off a 5 story carpark and survived I broke my left leg in 3 places and my right ankle in 6 places and my back in 2 places but I am lucky because I am recovering well and I can walk .people say its a mircle but I feel gulty because no one knew about the thoughts I was having for years because I did not tell any one to the outside world I was the life and soul of the party .I feel ashamed that now every one is worried about me and that is not what I wanted. I hope he is seeing a psychiatrist for his medications, not a PCP, because psychiatrists are much more well versed in the benefits, risks, side effects, etc. West was last seen on the Golden Gate Bridge onSept. 30, 2020 just before 7 a.m., according to the San Francisco Police Department. She was last seen September 30, 2020, from the San Francisco area near the Golden Gate Bridge specifically around Crissy field. I just need time to tidy up affairs, belongings, finances, assemble the plan. Each year I did - 2004, 2007, and 2013 - the Red Sox went on to win the World Series. Dec. 11, 2019 Updated: Dec. 12, 2019 8:06 a.m. 5. I saw him hit the water like a bullet, said his wife. Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, is the author of the books Helping the Suicidal Person: Tips and Techniques for Professionals and Loving Someone with Suicidal Thoughts: What Family, Friends, and Partners Can Say and Do. A narcissistic parent doesnt cause suicide, either lifes problems do or mental illness does. Overall, a meta-analysis of numerous studies that looked at bridges suicide barriers found them to be effective. I hope you will read it and take its words to heart. His passing causes lots of pain, sadness and changed others lives entirely. In 2000, he actually did jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. While in Australia she started blogging about beginning to experience bouts of depression on top of her anxiety. I still think about suicide, although not as often. Whether ones anchor to life is children or some other passion, it is a gift to have a reason for living that outweighs suicidal thoughts. I fantasize a lot about suicide. 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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) The family of a UC Berkeley freshman who disappeared last September has offered a $10,000 reward for information in connection with the case. suicide sometimes defies even the best efforts to thwart it, University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, http://www.SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources/#immediatehelp, If Only: Self-Blame After a Loved Ones Suicide, You Cant Do Everything: Limitations in Helping a Suicidal Person, a meta-analysis of numerous studies that looked at bridges suicide barriers, Generally, research into method substitution, 10 Things Not to Say to a Suicidal Person. The chances of surviving are less than 1.5%, and almost zero if the feet don't hit first. My overdose gave me seizures. I fully expected to talk to her the next day, Jay West told KRON4. I feel selfish but I feel like I still have to be brave for people because of their fear I might try again. Privacy Policy. In this clinical case conference, the authors begin by presenting vignettes to capture the diversity of bridge suicide. Dayna. God Bless You. Police do not necessarily believe there was foul play involved, according to an interview Rueca had with KRON4. You might be helped by connecting with other people who have attempted suicide and can understand not only what can lead a person to do that, but also what comes after. The corpse was pulled from the water by the Coast Guard a mile from the bridge 20 minutes later. Healthcare sucks, Government sucks, Law Enforcement Sucks, the economy sucks, the housing market, job, market, and prospects suck, no body likes me, including myself, and I really dont like anyone else either. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Dressed in a blue sweatshirt, leggings and Vans slip-on sneakers, the 19-year-old college student last contacted her family the day before with a lengthy phone call to her dad, Jay West. I understand completely. It was apparently very foggy that morning. They understand the battle with weight loss and a zillion other things but not suicide. For example, he may be telling himself that the way he feels and is now is the way he will feel and be forever. The four-second fall from the Golden Gate Bridge sends a person plunging . It was a serious, intentional attempt to end my own life. Has he tried cognitive behavior therapy? My failure as a person was responsible for my extreme step. I pretended to have an awakening and successfully faked a born-again quality joy that warded off the idiotic, feeble attempts of others to help me. There are far more narcissistic dads and men than there are women and mothers. I said, Well, the night we met I got so drunk I passed out on the living room floor. According to her family, a private investigator has followed up on dozens of tips, but none have led to West's whereabouts. of the different medications. I worry almost everyday that Ill maim myself again and not die. The story of Kevin Hines demonstrates the clarity that can finally appear when someones life is on the line. They planned to reconvene in L.A. the following day to hatch a plan to monetize the footage. . If you havent already joined a support group for other suicide loss survivors, that might help you; such groups are available in person and online. Learn how your comment data is processed. There was a 44% increase in jumping suicides per year at nearby sites (95% CI 15% to 81%), but the net gain was a 28% reduction in all jumping suicides per year in the study cities (95% CI 13% to 40%).. We remain hopeful that someone knows something that will be helpful in finding her.. I woke up on my own after my first attempt. On the morning of September 30, 2020, Sydney took a ride share service to the Golden Gate Bridge, where she often went to jog, practice yoga, and exercise in nearby Crissy Field. Syd, Ive always loved you from the bottom of my heart, since the minute I saw your eyes open. What, Im supposed to carry on with the HOPE that things MIGHT get better. Rhodes had been seeking fame all his life, and successfully became one of Hollywoods first stuntmen, appearing in movies such as "Under Arizona Skies" and "Duel in the Sun," in which he performed a cliff jump. West had just gone off to college to her dream school, University of California Berkeley. The footage taken by Guzman didn't make the news, but was watched by a small, select group: the San Francisco coroners jury, which quickly ruled a case of accidental death from drowning a week later. Another possibility is that the instinct to live kicks in once someone comes close to dying. Golden Gate Bridge, suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate in California to link San Francisco with Marin county to the north. But 10 years later, Im there again. News. Dialectical behavior therapy? As well, though, I believe I may have accidentally given myself something like ECT. If you want to talk with someone immediately by phone, text, or chat, please check out the Resources page. Andrew has written for The Atlantic, Vice, SF Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney's, The Bold Italic, Drowned in Sound and many other places. Note: I wanted to make this post to hopefully create some sort of discussion around the case since it was almost a year and a half ago. I am sure your little self felt am I not lovable enough but it was never about you, your mum was in pain and obviously thought you would be better off without her, but it is not a reflection on you, hard to accept as children are programmed to feel the centre of the world. Yet it gives me great hope that the vast majority of suicide attempt survivors remain just that survivors. Once her gap year was over, she moved back to California decided to attend U.C. How many of the survivors were so injured by the attempt that they were unable to complete the act? As of 2013, it is estimated that 34 people have survived after jumping. Your email address will not be published. There are so many types of antidepressants these days (around 40), plus mood stabilizers, plus antipsychotic medications that can also be used to treat depression. I am resigned to staying alive until I die in some other way. Woke up yesterday and realized I needed to make another pilgrimage before the series begins. Obviously, I failed. I wear various hats: I created and maintain this website, Speaking of Suicide, I'm an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and I have a psychotherapy and consulting practice. Thats why I searched for answers and I found this site. Edit: FAQs https://findsydneywest.com/faq, https://www.pollyklaas.org/missing-children/sydney-west/, https://pleasantonweekly.com/news/2021/09/30/what-a-week-find-sydney-west, https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/searching-for-sydney-san-francisco-police-still-asking-for-publics-help/?fbclid=IwAR2uVE3anCjr5EvpUerTiD6JZxCAENR83-xIRz3TRzAfRuGckyYFzRqnobM, https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2020/11/27/the-disappearance-of-sydney-west/. Saving Lives at the Golden Gate Bridge. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Precious few people survive such a fall; the water about 200 feet below acts the same as concrete when a person lands on it at high speed. After the war, people were looking for entertainment in 1940's San Francisco, but TVs were not yet common in homes, public hangings were history and the 49ers hadnt joined the NFL yet. "Together we will find Sydney and bring her home," her mother said. I am sure your mum will be watching over you, so sad that she caused you so much pain, please seek help, you are precious, with love xxx. There is only a 4ft safety rail separating the sidewalk from the void, and 98% of suicide attempts there have succeeded. Kevin Briggs. My name is Steven. SF]. It was in 1984. Friends and family may rally to their side. Its impossible to know but something to consider, in case youre only considering the set of possibilities for which you blame yourself. Pandora It was the last thing Dusty did, and it was a failure, she said. My brother did the same in 2002. ive suffered depression for Years, 2 suicide attempts in 2008. Im sorry youre feeling so bad that your suicide seems, to you, to be inevitable. Her Disappearance: Sydney West was a 19-year-old freshman at U.C. I hope you believe your words here, or at least are beginning to. On average, 30 people or more die from suicide here each year. In fact, the increase in suicides at other locations in Toronto did not make up for the dramatic decrease in suicides at the viaduct itself. A $25,000 reward is being offered for anyone who has information that leads to her return. There is a strength within you. East Bay Wine & Whimsy (Metaphysical Market), Before & After Photos Show CA's Snowpack, Reservoirs After Storms, Best Bay Area Sandwiches + Stranded Hiker Rescued: Saturday Smiles, Sprawling Estates, Suburban Dreams: 11 Featured Bay Area Homes, Berkeley Police Warn Of Vehicle Theft Rise, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk]. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. But what about people like me? So in a couple days with no vehicle no money and no job, Im just supposed to trudge on, because life is precious or whatever other placating device people Banty about? Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). I was able to make it out of the hopelessness and despair that led to my attempt. Case Contact Information: SFPD at 415-575-444 or text TIP411 (Start your message with SFPD) Or contact: private investigator Scott Dudek at 925-705-8328 or dudek.associates@gmail.com, *there is a reward for information that leads to her location and return, For more info: https://findsydneywest.com/ Facebook: Find Sydney West Instagram @find_sydney_west Polly Klaas Foundation: https://www.pollyklaas.org/missing-children/sydney-west/, Sources: https://pleasantonweekly.com/news/2021/09/30/what-a-week-find-sydney-west https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/searching-for-sydney-san-francisco-police-still-asking-for-publics-help/?fbclid=IwAR2uVE3anCjr5EvpUerTiD6JZxCAENR83-xIRz3TRzAfRuGckyYFzRqnobM https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2020/11/27/the-disappearance-of-sydney-west/. I am so glad my attempt did not end in my death. What happens to them afterward? Even so, bridge foreman Arthur Olson caught up with the stuntman as the crowd gathered, and grabbed him, but lost his grip, only succeeding in ripping free one of the harnesses. The details of your life will, of course, be different but we have our humanness in common. Thats simply not true, but it took stepping outside my beliefs, becoming teachable and following the leads of others to find a life worth living. (findsydneywest.com) West was last seen on the morning of Sept. 30 on the iconic bridge. Anyone in the Bay Area with any information regarding her disappearancecan contact Sgt. I know how hard it is. All rights reserved. Horrified spectators screamed and mothers covered their childrens eyes as Chief Sundowns lifeless body bobbed under the bridge and out to sea. Therapists and doctors may help provide relief. You can learn more about me here. And there ended Rhodes four-years-in-the-making attempt to wow crowds and find fame by jumping from the bridge into the bay. Between 1937 and 2012, an estimated 1,400 bodies were recovered of people who had jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge, located in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States. West's parents are asking anyone who may have been. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, and was last seen wearing a sweatshirt, dark-colored shorts and blue Vans sneakers. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Reach out to someone, anyone because I can tell you they have no idea how you feel. "This will be the biggest jump of my life," he told her. Good luck to your friend, Julie, and thanks for commenting. PLEASANTON, Calif. (KRON) Nearly a year has gone by since a Bay Area college student, Sydney West, vanished in San Francisco. After he was rescued, he continued to live, and lives still, serving as a suicide prevention advocate at the national level. We will never recover from it. Watching "The Bridge" -- a new documentary that captures 23 suicide jumps from the bridge . 18 I held a gun to my head in my backyard w my finger on the trigger. Sydney Kaitlyn West, 19, was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge around 6:45 a.m. on September 30, 2020. As I entered Oklahoa, something I like to think it was my Higher Powerinspired me to call my brother in Illinois and I ended up going in and out of treatment centers until I finally realized that Im an alcoholic and that there was hope for me. I inherited two guns from my Dad, and I will take possession of them this month. Im wondering if youve seen the post If Only: Self-Blame After a Loved Ones Suicide. "We know that there was a lot of pedestrian, car and bicycle traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge the morning Sydney disappeared. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge suicide net, a coarse web of steel designed to catch and cradle people who jump, is two years behind . I have to attend Court for something I have not done, the pressures that as put on me is colossal, yetI still have to attend, I know I will collapse in court from the stress and also have a serious heart condition on medication for it. 15, 12, by Americaoncoffee. West was in the Bay Area to take summer classes at UC Berkeley; she was supposed to enter school in the fall, but due to a concussion she sustained and classes being held remotely, she opted to defer for another year but stayed in California with family friends. Sydney West Cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge recorded Sydney the morning of Sept. 30. / CBS San Francisco. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. West's parents are asking anyone who may have been commuting or exercising on the bridge to come forward with anything they may have seen. If I make it, Ill have publicity and be on my way, Rhodes told a friend who later testified at the coroners inquest. People are stupid. I attempted when I was a teenager. He grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to UC Berkeley and has previously worked as a news reporter at USA Today and SFGATE and as a music writer at NPR. Sydney Kaitlyn West, 19, was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge around 6:45 a.m. on September 30, 2020. Andrew Chamings is an editor at SFGATE. In Toronto, the barrier at the Bloor Viaduct did not reduce the number of people who died of suicide by jumping in the city; it just moved them to other locations. Dusty thought he could do the same but let everyone see it, and so employed the services of his pal, Hollywood cameraman Jose Guzman, to capture the jump on film. I used to believe my problems are so intractable that the only way out of my pain was suicide. Sydney Harbour Bridge has a suicide prevention barrier. It is important to note that there has been no activity on her phone, bank accounts, or social media accounts since Sept. 30. and the evidence around them is not good. I am literally living day by day and full of guilt, regret and anger. I tried to help her, I really did Except I didnt. The man who tried to find fame by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, Horoscope for Saturday, 3/04/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Snowboarder dies at Tahoe ski resort following historic blizzard, West I-80 closed near Tahoe due to snow and 'multiple spinouts', Wife of Jeffrey Vandergrift issues somber update, Even Salesforces tower HQ isnt safe from office cuts, Inside Harry and Meghans favorite In-N-Out, Horoscope for Friday, 3/03/23 by Christopher Renstrom, Massive Lake Tahoe waterfront compound slashes price by $20M, This beloved East Bay hybrid cafe and bike shop is closing, Ja Morant says he'll get help after video shows apparent gun. Of the 515 people whose attempt was interrupted, only 35 later died by suicide in the years to come. She is described as standing 5'10", weighing about 130 pounds, with light brown hair and blue eyes and possibly wearing glasses.