Golden Gate Bridge Suicides
Since opening on May 27, 1937, The Golden Gate Bridge has been a very popular destination for people who want to end their lives.
The first confirmed jumper was Harold Wobber, a World War I veteran. On Aug. 7, 1937, Wobber turned to a stranger he had befriended earlier and while walking together across the bridge, he turned to the man and said, "This is as far as I go" and leaped over the railing.
According to the Marin County Coroner:
- More than 85 percent of people who jump from the bridge are Bay Area residents.
- Northern California residents account for more than 92% of the suicide jumps.
- Average jumper’s age: 42. (Youngest: 14-year-old girl; oldest: 84-year-old man)
- Men outnumber women almost 3 to 1.
- Caucasians account for 83 percent of all fatalities.
- San Francisco and Marin counties had the highest number of deaths, followed by Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties.
More than 1,250 people have jumped off the bridge. This is only the number of confirmed jumps or bodies being found. Due to foggy conditions and a strong current, it is entirely possible to leap off the bridge witout a trace.
For the last 10 years, it has been running on average about 24 fatalities a year. The jump is fatal 98 percent of the time.
One last interesting note, nearly every person to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge has done so from the bay side, not the ocean side. The ocean side is considered too cold and impersonal.
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