I was able to make it out of the hopelessness and despair that led to my attempt. 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. Michael Horan at 415-553-1028 or the family's private investigator at 925-705-8328. She was last seen wearing a light teal hoodie, dark leggings, and slip-on vans sneakers with dark green and black print. Berkeley when she went missing on September 30, 2020. 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 is described as a white female, 5'10" and weighing about 130 pounds. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. The Bridge (2006 documentary film) - Wikipedia Although severe depression led him to jump off the bridge, Kevin Hines has stated: "The very second I let go, I knew I had made a big mistake." I understand completely. This is a terribly hard process, and I hope that youre able to get help and support from others. For more information, click here. I tried commiting suicide and ended up brain dead Then after I got out of the coma, I was put in rehab for 11 months where I kept trying to break my neck and die because I missed my fiance so much (he wasnt allowed to visit me because he had attempted suicide with me too since he didnt want to live without me). Part of Audacy. Thank you. The details of your life will, of course, be different but we have our humanness in common. This is certainly true for me: narcissistic mother and sister. Since Sept. 30, there has been no activity on her phone or credit cards. 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. I supported her desire to stop taking her medication. Rhodes was estranged from his wife Lorraine, who lived in the East Bay in Port Chicago with their two kids, Rocky, 4, and Oowala, 9, but he made arrangements for her to witness the stunt, maybe in the hope that the feat would win her back. The sad thing is that, as I say in my letter, some of what your friend thinks and believes may actually be true, but his mind is probably also shutting him out of other truths that could balance out his pain. But the cameras lost sight of her because of heavy fog, making it impossible to know what happened toher. Suicide needs to be addressed from many angles, of which means restriction is only one. Anyone who has seen her since is also asked to contact San Francisco police at 415-575-4444 or the family's private investigator at 925-705-8328. It was in 1984. West's parents are asking anyone who may have been. Saving Lives at the Golden Gate Bridge. It was apparently very foggy that morning. I guess I have started to realize its not my faultits no ones fault when a loved one commits suicide. West may have been wearing dark leggings, blue Vans shoes and a teal sweatshirt at the time of her disappearance. Dec. 11, 2019 Updated: Dec. 12, 2019 8:06 a.m. 5. what can I do. As the deaths of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain draw attention to the public health crisis of depression and mental illness, Megyn Kelly TODAY welcomes Kevi. He has visited mental hospitals several times since his jump. At the time, a made for TV movie, named Silence of the Heart came out. I know that this surprises many people. Someone mustve seen something nothing is being ruled out. Her family has stated that she enjoyed the area around the Golden Gate Bridge, and it was not unlike her to take pictures and go for a walk or run. Now I dont know if I can fight it, but coping with failure and constant depression is impossible. My passion for helping suicidal people stems from my own lived experience with suicidality and suicide loss. News. But what if you dont want help? You also can find other places to get help by phone, email, chat, or text at http://www.SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources/#immediatehelp. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Man Survives Suicide Jump From Golden Gate Bridge - ABC News Sydney West's parents confirmed she was last seen on the Golden Gate Bridge. Tears ago, when my children were younger, I actually reached a point where I went beyond imagining the trauma and lifelong suffering, to my children; such was my pain. You can read more about this at http://www.bmj.com/content/341/bmj.c4447. She was last seen in the area around 6:45 a.m. Me and my childrens life broke into pieces and our life will never be the same. "Syd," as she liked to be called, was initially thought to have last been seen or heard from early the morning of September 30 in the Crissy Field area. At approximately 6:45 am, Sydney was captured by cameras entering the Golden Gate Bridge. I am a survivor as well of rape and spousal abuse, Am feeling empowered today, thanks to you. Copyright 2013 Stacey Freedenthal, PhD, LCSW, All Rights Reserved. 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/. Wests parents led a socially-distanced vigil in Pleasanton last Thursday. He now works daily, and diligently, to manage continued symptoms that can include depression and hearing voices. Good luck to your friend, Julie, and thanks for commenting. Search within r/redsox. "There were many people in that vicinity during that time," said Mr. West. She was last seen September 30, 2020, from the San Francisco area near the Golden Gate Bridge specifically around Crissy field. Key to teen's disappearance is on Golden Gate Bridge - Audacy Suicide Deterrent Net | Golden Gate 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. 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. Even for people who passionately wish and perhaps even need (for health reasons) to lose weight, they do not always prevail. But its possible theres not more you could have done. Maybe some of the posts on this site could be helpful to him? Suicide bridge - Wikipedia Im not sure that preventing suicide is such a noble act. He might also have refused to remove the gun from the home, too. West, 19, disappeared on a foggy San Francisco morning, around 6:45 a.m. to 7 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30 on the Golden Gate Bridge. In 2013, 118 potential jumpers were talked down from their attempts and did not jump. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. Everything says Get help. Too, people who attempt suicide may receive the help they need afterwards. "We know that there was a lot of pedestrian, car and bicycle traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge the morning Sydney disappeared. In this clinical case conference, the authors begin by presenting vignettes to capture the diversity of bridge suicide. We are going to keep looking.. She is from Chapel Hill, N.C. Its complicated, Bay Area city cracks top 10 best for sleep: US News, JV talked about health struggles before disappearance, Martinez residents warned not to eat food grown in, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Its sad how much youve suffered, and its inspirational how differently you feel right now. I just got out two days ago. We cannot overlook that 10% of people who survive a suicide attempt do go on to die by suicide. Missing College Student - Sydney West : r/TrueCrime - reddit Somehow I survived. The 265-foot plunge off the most famous bridge in the world was right in his wheelhouse, until it wasnt. It is also possible she was wearing eyeglasses instead of contact lenses. Second Chances: 'I survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge' It is wonderful that having children seems to have inoculated you against suicidal thoughts. and the evidence around them is not good. The night before she disappeared (Sept. 29) she and her father Jay West had a lengthy phone conversation according to her family. Challenges, extreme challenges. Hundreds more are stopped from harming themselves through the efforts of the Golden Gate Bridge District . "Folks that have seen anything that resembles Sydney, we really want to collect information.". What Dr. Seiden found is a remarkable testament to the fact that a suicidal crisis is often very often temporary. At this point, the instinct is what keeps me living. Im sorry to hear of your loss San Francisco police and the Orange County Sheriffs Office in North Carolina did not immediately respond to a request for comment from SFGATE. Overall, a meta-analysis of numerous studies that looked at bridges suicide barriers found them to be effective. 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. 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 hope you believe your words here, or at least are beginning to. Confessed to my dad and got shipped to a hospital. Had medical intervention on the second. But as long as your solution is to kill yourself , you wont see them even if theyre right in front of you. The chances of surviving are less than 1.5%, and almost zero if the feet don't hit first. Suicide From the Golden Gate Bridge | American Journal of Psychiatry I pray tonight. West is 5'10" and slender at 130 pounds, with blue eyes and light brown hair. 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. Her Disappearance: Sydney West was a 19-year-old freshman at U.C. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Simply put unless you die the battle won or pain doesnt matter. On average, 30 people or more die from suicide here each year. Its a really simple concept. The Golden Gate Bridge, which first opened in May 1937, was the most popular suicide site in the world during the documentary's filming, with approximately 1,200 deaths by 2003. It was a serious, intentional attempt to end my own life. And half of people who die by suicide had attempted suicide at least once previously. Im recommending this because of your sense that you could have stopped the suicide from happening if you hadnt been so stupid, as you so painfully put it. How one teen's suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge became a cause for his 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. I attempted when I was a teenager. Each. Sydneyhas light brown hair and blue eyes. Rhodes also made the news in 1946 on a radio program called Truth or Consequences in which he was bizarrely tasked with living on a traffic island on the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and La Brea for three weeks. I warned her of the possible dangers of the physical response to discontinuance, not thinking of her emotional well being. While in Australia she started blogging about beginning to experience bouts of depression on top of her anxiety. Lately, the suicidal thoughts have permeated my brain. 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. I knew then that I would never try it again. SF]. He jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and survived. Now, he's - CNN We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. She failed at killing herself and learned a different process of questions to see her feelings. I often want to jump off the bridge by my apartment. Dayna. Her family is not giving up hope that she is still alive and remains determined to find her. She attempted suicide three times and was in mental hospitals, etc. We talked a lot about loving each other. Obviously, the will to live does not reassert itself in everyone who has tried to die. Email: Andrew.Chamings@sfgate.com | Twitter: @AndrewChamings. Anyone interested in following the investigation may do so on Facebook or Instagram, and tag posts with #FindSydneyWest. Anyone with information is asked to call 415-575-4444. God will come through for you but you have to make an attempt. The Mystery Of Sydney West's Disappearance - Grunge.com Any suggestions? She was last seen around 6:45 am when she was dropped off by a rideshare driver. West was born in Walnut Creek and lived briefly in Castro Valley before her family moved to Pleasanton. 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. I put up a front so my kids wont end up the same way. 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. 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. It certainly sounds like your friends antidepressants are not working. The most intuitive reason is that suicidal crises are, by their nature, temporary. Once her gap year was over, she moved back to California decided to attend U.C. 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. Although severe depression led him to jump off the bridge, Kevin Hines has stated: The very second I let go, I knew I had made a big mistake.. Praying for you. He already had refused to get help or to stop drinking. There are many people with children whose pain or distorted thinking overrides all else, in spite of their best wishes. Theres just a lack of evidence that shes not with us anyone, Jay West said. But what about people like me? Disappearance of Sydney West : r/UnresolvedMysteries - reddit Andrew Chamings is an editor at SFGATE. The man who tried to find fame by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge I wish you all the very best and I pray you each find a way to manage and control the thoughts of suicide. Shortly after 1 p.m. on March 8, San Francisco officials pulled the fully clothed body of a 56-year-old white man from the waves off secluded Marshall's Beach, just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. What, Im supposed to carry on with the HOPE that things MIGHT get better. Family of Sydney West, missing UC Berkeley student, renews search Im sorry youre feeling so bad that your suicide seems, to you, to be inevitable. Its great to hear that things are going well for you now. They planned to reconvene in L.A. the following day to hatch a plan to monetize the footage. Maybe in order to evade authorities who had refused permission to allow the jump legally 18 months earlier, he removed the weighted boots that were intended to keep him upright during the plunge. He published the results in an article titled Where Are They Now? Both my son and I said we woud never consider it again, after that. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. We remain hopeful that someone knows something that will be helpful in finding her.. I hope you will read it and take its words to heart. I agree with you completely, Anonymous. 18 I held a gun to my head in my backyard w my finger on the trigger. 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. I wonder if you might benefit from talking with like-minded folks at ChronicSuicideSupport.com. Theres another post that might be helpful to you, too: You Cant Do Everything: Limitations in Helping a Suicidal Person. Parenthood does not protect everyone, though. You provide inspiration to others who still are stuck in that hopelessness and despair. These findings are consistent with other studies that have looked at method substitution, which can occur when one suicide method is made unavailable and people substitute it with another. Wests parents said they have now hired a private investigator who is working with the San Francisco Police Department and Orange County (North Carolina) Sheriffs Department. Rhodes press agent, Susan Todd, told reporters that Dusty had painstakingly calculated the speed of his fall, how he would hit the water and other details, as he did when he prepared for his movie stunts. I inherited two guns from my Dad, and I will take possession of them this month. In fact, Dusty told his friend to shoot from the bridge as it would be more dramatic, and besides, he would easily be able to swim to shore to a congratulatory, awestruck crowd of beach goers. 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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. You might think that, once freed from the authority figures who prevented their suicide on the bridge, they still went on to by suicide. Afterward, I was disgusted and angry. PART OF AUDACY NEWS. similar to cancer ads, etc. A Lesson from 29 Golden Gate Suicide Attempts - Medium The San Francisco Police Department's tip line can be reached at 415-575-4444. There are far more narcissistic dads and men than there are women and mothers. Thanks for sharing your story here. That changes things. I tried to commit suicide when I was 18. Your battle won matters. 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. Dont believe anyone who tells you differently. They understand the battle with weight loss and a zillion other things but not suicide. West, 20, grew up in Pleasanton, Calif. She was a star volleyball player at Foothill High School and loved singing at open mic nights. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. America doesnt feed narcissistic people and men are more materialistic. She took a ride-share service. She is 5 10 tall and weighs 130 pounds. A jump off the Golden Gate Bridge takes around four seconds, during which a person will reach a speed of 80 mphbefore smashing into the water's surface like concrete. The chances of surviving. He recovered physically, but mentally he is now depressed and on anti-depressants,has anxiety attacks, is too emotional for working, and keeps saying he wishes he had succeeded with his attempt as he feels a burden to everyone. We will never recover from it. I am literally living day by day and full of guilt, regret and anger. Additionally, Hines takes medication and . The West family has also upped its reward for her return to $25,000. There is a strength within you. Friends and family may rally to their side. Suicides Mounting, Golden Gate Looks to Add a Safety Net And for most of those whose lives were saved, life goes on for many more years to come. But, as you said, the problem is also bigger than a question of means. They lied about every imaginable factor of surviving in life. 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. I feel if I constantly feel like this over the years why dont I just die now? She was a student at Donlon Elementary and Hart Middle schools and attended Foothill High School for her freshman and sophomore years. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe now to receive more just like it. $10K Reward Offered In Search For UC Berkeley Freshman Sydney West Sydney West was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, walking near Crissy Field. His father had died by suicide and even though I knew all of this, I couldnt see the forest through the trees. The story of Kevin Hines demonstrates the clarity that can finally appear when someones life is on the line. I've taken the Fenway Park Tour 3 times in my life. Each year I did Im wondering if youve seen the post If Only: Self-Blame After a Loved Ones Suicide. 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. A. Despite having to raise two young children alone with barely a cent to her name, Lorraine refused many offers from news agencies to sell the film of her husbands demise. Footage in the area, according to a website the family recently set up in light of her disappearance, was blocked by fog and morning haze. Your comments are false. Written forwww.speakingofsuicide.com. I think this message needs to be made more clear and put in ads, etc. They then examine the demographic characteristics of those who commit suicide from the bridge as well as the fatal attraction of the Golden Gate Bridge. 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 . Sydney Harbour Bridge has a suicide prevention barrier. All theses years following, I did not feel good about myself, am reunited with my nephew, reading up on how to talk to him. Trackback URL Children are a major reason for living for many people who battle suicidal thoughts. He has no one else but me. Your pain matters. I address the myth of inevitable suicide in this post. I cant tell you how much of what you write touches me in some way. Turns out, it was a recording of Sydney singing. A $25,000 reward is being offered for anyone who has information that leads to her return. Her disappearance was every parents worst nightmare. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Enter your email address to receive notifications by email of new posts. Thank you for contributing to the discussion. I fantasize a lot about suicide.