Golden Gate Bridge suicides decline

Thirty-eight people committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge last year, as bridge officials approved the purchase of a $76 million suicide prevention net.

The death toll - a reduction over the previous year when a record 46 people plunged to their deaths - remained within a five-year average, said Paul Muller of the Bridge Rail Foundation, a group calling for the construction of a suicide barrier.

He said it came despite stepped-up patrols that detained an increased 161 people suspected of planning to jump from the iconic span.

After years of debate, bridge officials in July agreed to buy the steel suicide nets, which will be suspended about 20 feet beneath the bridge.

Construction could begin this summer and would be complete in about two years, advocates said.

The bridge has been an attractive suicide spot because of its easy access and low railing. It’s estimated that 1,600 people jumped to their deaths from the bridge since it was built in 1937.

“It should have been dealt with a long, long time ago,” Muller said. “The good news is it is finally happening. The bad news is it took this long.”

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.