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Suicide by landmark: Hoover Dam Bypass vs. Golden Gate Bridge
Wed, Apr 18, 2012 (4:23 p.m.)
Comparing the two landmarks, the situation at Hoover Dam could be worse.
Sad news coming out of Hoover Dam this week: 60-year-old Patricia Oakley of San Jose, California, jumped off the bypass bridge. The police tried to talk her down, but to no avail. Oakley’s death is tragic, but it’s also a reminder that the situation could be worse. A quick comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge reveals this much.
Hoover Dam Bypass
Opened: 2010
Height: 900 feet
Average Suicides Per Year: .67
Fatality Risk of Jumping: 100%
Preventative Measures Taken: Measures to come, presumably.
Golden Gate Bridge
Opened: 1937
Height: 245 feet (deck level)
Average Suicides Per Year: 17.6 (This is the recorded figure, though the actual number is almost certainly higher, as many jumps go unnoticed and/or unreported.)
Fatality Risk of Jumping: 98% (to date)
Preventative Measures Taken: Suicide hotline telephones, volunteer ironworkers wrestling down would-be jumpers, sidewalks closed at night.
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