The Golden Gate Bridge, a famous sight in San Francisco, has been a suicide hotspot for almost a century. Since its opening in 1937, an assumed 2,000 people have taken their lives over the side of the bridge. Now, almost 100 years since the novelty was built, safety nets have finally been added around the deathly and gorgeous landmark.
The initial project was presented in 2015, as the victims’ families pressured the keepers of the Golden Gate Bridge to take action. Construction of the $211 million lifesaving nets began in 2018. The 20-foot-wide steel nets, approximately 20 feet below the edge of the bridge, were designed to help prevent success within the prominent suicides. The nets are supposedly nearly 100% effective, according to Denis Mulligan, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. The project is almost completed after missing the 2021 completion date due to delays.
The project is almost complete in November, or ‘Movember’ which is men’s health month. Men commonly participate in ‘No Shave November’ to stand for all aspects of men’s health, including mental health and suicide prevention. For many years, there was a stigma against men’s mental health, allowing struggles to go unnoticed.
As society raises awareness of mental illness and suicide struggles in both men and women, incorporations such as these anti-suicide nets are becoming increasingly necessary. History cannot be changed, losses cannot be undone, but lives can and will be saved moving forward on the Golden Gate Bridge.
