Posted on 10/10/2013 2:01:30 PM PDT by JerseyanExile
More than twice a month, on average, those who've lost all hope come to San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, climb over the railing and, tragically, plunge 220 feet into the Pacific Ocean to end their pain.
That number would be higher, if not for California Highway Patrol Sgt. Kevin Briggs, nicknamed the "Guardian of the Golden Gate." Since 1994, through sheer compassion and expert listening skills, Sgt. Briggs has helped convince more than 200 people on the precipice of death not to take their lives (so far, he's only lost one).
"People who come to jump don't necessarily want to die," explains Briggs, 50, who calmly introduces himself just a few feet away to the despondent person, often standing for hours in bone-chilling wind or heavy fog.
"I try to find out what brought them to this point," says Briggs, a cancer survivor and father of two boys. "If I can get them to break down, that's a good sign, it shows they're listening and thinking. If someone says they have no plan for tomorrow, I say, 'OK, let's make one.' "
(Excerpt) Read more at people.com ...
God Bless this man. He is an angel.
When I start considering a plunge off the bridge, at least now I know where to go to make sure I don’t actually follow through with it. Bookmarked and noted for future reference (may very well need it).
/johnny
Let’s do it together, how about that?
/johnny
How does plunging into the ocean necessarily kill you?
The sheer impact combined with the fact that even if the fall does not actually kill you, you would almost certainly drown before even regaining consciousness. Once you land in the ocean, I imagine your chances of making it to land are slim to none.
/johnny
The speed achieved from falling from that height means that the water acts almost like a solid. Look up “non-Newtonian fluids”. It’s not like hitting concrete, but close enough as to make no difference.
The results for people who jump off the bridge here in tampa are fairly severe. A few people have survived if they were pulled out quickly enough to prevent drowning.
From people who have found them the impact breaks most of their bones. Theyve said its like trying in a big sack of jello. Thats from 185 feet.
The ones who aren’t rescued drown and get eaten by sharks usually.
You might even die from hypothermia. The water in the bay is COLD (that's why the Bay Area has such nice weather).
The key thing is the "220 feet".
You are falling at quite a rate when you hit the surface.
If you don't hit the surface at just exactly the correct angle and position, you'll be killed by the impact. Water is NOT that soft.
And if you DO hit it at just exactly the correct angle,you will go so deep as to not be able to surface before drowning.
They want to fly?
Okay, so you die by multiple factors instead of one.
I think I’d rather just jump onto rocks and forestall any chance of lingering suffering.
SHARKS
Hitting the water from 220 feet up is pretty close to hitting concrete from the same height.
Gunshot to the head is better. Not that I’ve thought about it much. Today....
Yep.
I was a Paramedic for several years. Seen that go wrong too.
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