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Man Survives Suicide Jump Off Manhattan Bridge
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 27, 2009
Modified Jan 27, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 27, 2009
Modified Jan 27, 2009
Share
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A helicopter and police boat rushed to the East River near the Main Street section of Brooklyn Bridge Park this afternoon, where a man miraculously survived after jumping from the Manhattan Bridge. A firefighter at the scene in DUMBO told us it was believed to be a suicide attempt, but it was unclear how the man had survived the fall into the icy waters and was still able to walk to a waiting ambulance.
The Hudson River bridges have phones for witnesses to report suicides, but no such phones exist on the East River crossings. A 2007 study estimated that one out of ten suicides in New York City are committed by tourists who come to town for that specific purpose. And the Manhattan Bridge has been used for suicide since its completion; this New York Times article [pdf] from 1914 details a grizzly suicide not far from the site of today's rescue.
Tagged
east river
Jumper
manhattan bridge
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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