Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected to indicate that the deceased has not been located. Search and recovery efforts continue.
An Indian American teenager reportedly jumped to his death from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge on Tuesday.
The 16-year-old is believed to have leaped off the bridge at around 4:58 p.m. His phone, bag and bicycle were found on the structure.
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The Coast Guard reportedly carried out a two-hour search.
The deceased’s parents confirmed his death, according to reports. The incident marks the fourth time an Indian American has used the Golden Gate Bridge in an apparent suicide attempt, said community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria, as per NDTV.
At least 30 people die from suicide via the Golden Gate Bridge each year, according to the bridge’s official website. Since it opened in 1937, it has seen nearly 2,000 such cases.
Construction of a suicide prevention net began on the bridge in 2018. The project was due in January 2021 but was repeatedly delayed and is now expected to cost $400 million — more than double its original price, according to the Associated Press.
The project entails adding stainless steel mesh nets measuring 20 feet on both sides of the 1.7-mile bridge. Old maintenance platforms are also being replaced.
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources. Starting on July 16, those in the United States can be routed to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling the three-digit code 988.
