2019 Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Statistics
Confirmed suicides January-February: 2
Unconfirmed suicides January-February: 1
Interventions January-February: 26
Suicides & interventions January-February: 29
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2018 Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Statistics
Confirmed suicides during the year: 27
Unconfirmed suicides during the year: 4
Interventions during the year: 187
Suicides & interventions during the year: 218
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Natchez Trace Bridge Support
Last month Bill Frist, a physician and former U.S. Senate majority leader, wrote about the need to address suicide deaths from Tennessee's Natchez Trace Bridge. His article, which appeared in Forbes, summarized the issue and referenced supporting research. It followed statements of support from other Tennessee elected officials at both the state and national level. The bridge is the responsibility of the National Park Service, and there have been at least 25 suicides from it in the past 10 years.
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Tacoma Narrows Bridge News
In Washington state, support is growing to reduce suicides from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Nine suicide have occurred there in the past five years, and a local coalition is advocating for change. As a first step, signage has been installed on the bridge that promotes the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's number and Crisis Text Line's text service. Advocates know that signs won't end the problem, however, and are pushing for the state Department of Transportation to fund taller rails or a net system like on the Golden Gate Bridge.
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The Fall of "Galloping Gertie"
When it opened in 1940, the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, spanning Puget Sound, was nicknamed "Galloping Gertie" for the way it moved in the wind. One of the bridge's designers and consulting engineers was Leon Moisseiff, a noted New York bridge designer who was a consulting engineer on the Golden Gate Bridge. Shallow and narrow girders were used in Washington, however, which led to the bridge's collapse only four months after it opened. Fortunately, no people were killed.
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