Man Dies by Suicide After Jumping
Off Coronado Bridge in San Diego
by Kevin Caruso
August 31, 2004
The Coronado Bridge connects San Diego to the City of Coronado. I live fairly close to the bridge and I drive by it all the time.
There are no walkways on the bridge - pedestrians are not allowed.
But that does not stop people from jumping.
There are signs for people who are suicidal telling them how to get help.
But the signs do not stop people from jumping.
And it always deeply saddens me when I hear about someone jumping from the bridge.
At 6:30 a.m. on August 30, 2004, a man drove his car on the bridge, parked in the middle of a lane, and jumped.
The body has not been recovered yet.
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I have talked to many people who have jumped from bridges and survived, and I must tell you that their experiences are eerily similar.
Almost without exception -- immediately after they jumped, they wanted to survive.
Let me repeat that: Immediately after they jumped, they wanted to survive.
But there was not turning back.
A few moment of horrors and.they survived.
It is as if the brain suddenly "woke up" after the jump occurs.
But most people who jump from bridges die or end up paralyzed are severly injured.
Very few are "lucky."
So please understand this - over 90 percent of the people who die by suicide have a mental illness at the time of their death.
And because depression is the most common mental illness, untreated depression is the number one cause for suicide.
Depression and other mental illnesses are highly treatable.
If you think that you may have depression or something similar, please reach out for help.
Suicide is never the answer, although it may seem like the answer because the mental illness makes it impossible for you to think clearly.
So please reach out for help now.
Make appointments with a doctor and a therapist so you can be evaluated and treated.
If you or someone you know is suicidal, please go to the Home Page of this website for immediate help.
Thank you.
I love you.
Take care,
Kevin Caruso
