CALIFORNIA: Suicide Prevention Net Beneath Golden Gate Bridge Completed, Say Officials

The Guardian

Early this month, officials announced the completion of the Golden Gate Bridge suicide prevention net. This announcement comes nearly a decade after the effort was approved, thanks in large part to the advocacy of suicide loss survivors and others with lived experience. The stainless-steel nets that now span both sides of the bridge are meant to be a deterrent. As the effort neared completion last year, the number of suicide attempts at the bridge fell by more than half. Other prevention measures at the bridge include patrol staff trained to identify and assist visitors in distress, who stopped 149 suicide attempts last year. Bridge maintenance workers are trained in rescue techniques, and county firefighters are also being trained to rescue people from the nets. Research shows most people who survive a suicide attempt do not die by suicide later, which is why reducing access to lethal means, such as through a bridge barrier, can save lives. “I’m so grateful that a small group of like-minded people never gave up on something so important,” said Kevin Hines, a suicide attempt survivor and prevention advocate who helped push for the effort.

Spark Extra! Learn more about reducing access to lethal means.