Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Tally Now Tops All Other Locations
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - 32 people committed suicide last year by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge—similar to the number of suicides in recent years, the Marin County coroner's office said Monday.
31 people died in 2009 and 34 in 2008, the coroner's office said.
An additional 75 people last year were put on medical observation at hospitals after showing signs of being suicidal on the bridge.
"All told, the real number of suicide deaths at the Gate now exceeds 1,400 - more than any other single location in the world," coroner Ken Holmes said in a statement.
The total count includes 24 people whose bodies were recovered by the U.S. Coast Guard and taken to the Marin County coroner, seven confirmed suicides in which the victim was not recovered, and one person who was recovered in San Francisco County, the coroner's office said.
The number of deaths could increase if deceased people with injuries consistent with a jump or fall from a high place are reported by other jurisdictions and confirmed to have jumped from the bridge.
In the past, suicides were not reported if the remains were never recovered or were recovered in other counties.
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