Golden Gate Bridge Suicides - In Their Own Words
Kevin Hines
“The morning I jumped, I had been in a deep depression for days. This was a result of bipolar disorder for which I was taking a number of medications. My father sensed something was wrong, but I brushed him off. I left the house, grabbed a last meal of Skittles and Starbursts, and took Muni to the Golden Gate Bridge.
“I was a mess on the bridge, crying and disoriented. No one stopped to ask what was wrong. Finally, a tourist with a heavy European accent came up to me with a camera and asked if I would take her picture. I agreed. Five snapshots later, I was still crying and she was done and gone. I knew then that no one cared. I took a step back and hurled myself over the short rail.
“Once airborne, I had four seconds left. I knew immediately that I did not want to die. Thoughts racing, I tried to angle my body to survive. I guessed right. I hit the water at 75 miles per hour and did not lose consciousness. I tried to swim to the surface, but my legs were numb and useless. My arms were enough to get me to the surface, but I could not stay afloat. Suddenly, I felt a large sea animal brush against me. Great, I thought, I jump off the bridge and now a shark will eat me. Witnesses later told me it was a sea lion, nudging me to the surface.
“The Coast Guard picked me out of the water, checked me out, and shipped me off to Marin General Hospital. I had multiple injuries and it was not clear that I would survive the next 24 hours.
“My hospital stay lasted for weeks. One regular visitor was a Franciscan monk. He suggested that I was spared for a reason, perhaps to tell my story, maybe to help put an end to almost 70 years of preventable deaths off the Golden Gate Bridge. I didn’t know then—but I do now—that he was right. For the past 15 years I have been telling my story to thousands of students, parents, and others. I also have been counseling at-risk youth and adding my voice to those of Bridge Rail Foundation and other groups advocating for a suicide barrier on the bridge.”
Thorton McKay
“It was the build-up from seeing my mom OD and everything with the junior college. It led up to December. Once December hit — Christmas time, birthdays, shitty situations — I was like, I’m done with this."
On December 27, 2022, 23 year old Thorton McKay, a student at Santa Rosa Junior College, survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Thorton is very grateful for a second chance at life and even went to visit and personally thank the Coast Guard crew who saved him that day.
“I look back on that, and, man, that’s the worst, darkest feeling I was ever in,” he said. “I’m glad where I’m at. I’m glad I get a second opportunity, and right now I’m just trying to live every day at the moment and strive to be a better me.”