Challenges, extreme challenges. Rhodes, who also went by his native Navajo name Chief Sundown, was no stranger to danger. Sydney Kaitlyn West, 19, was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge around 6:45 a.m. on September 30, 2020. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Key to my recovery was becoming realistic about my part in creating the calamity called my life, but also needed to recognize others responsibilities as well. She tried to take her life when I was 12. Cameras on the Golden Gate Bridge recorded Sydney the morning of Sept. 30. Take a trip somewhere I mean what do you have to lose, on your journey to wherever you may see life worth living make yourself do something. Perfectly so. She was also seen wearing black shorts at times and may have been wearing glasses, said her father, Jay West. He recovered physically, but mentally he is now depressed and on anti-depressants,has anxiety attacks, is too emotional for working, and keeps saying he wishes he had succeeded with his attempt as he feels a burden to everyone. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I know there will be a lot of people out there who will think a certain thing happened to Sydney. [This comment was edited to abide by the Comments Policy. "No detail is too small," said her mother, Kimberly West. But its possible theres not more you could have done. "On Aug. 20, 1985, I jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, and I survived." Ken Baldwin was 28 years old and had just started a family. YEAH? At this point, the instinct is what keeps me living. For Kevin Hines, the will to live kicked in immediately. One desperate and hurt person to another. On average, 30 people or more die from suicide here each year. The West family has also upped its reward for her return to $25,000. Im recommending this because of your sense that you could have stopped the suicide from happening if you hadnt been so stupid, as you so painfully put it. And now I have the means to do it. But it was my final stay at a state mental hospital when I began reading a book that finally spoke to me: Dying for a Drink, and for the first time in my life I recognized the fact that I was an alcoholic and that I had been treating major depression with a depressant. and the evidence around them is not good. I woke up on my own after my first attempt. My brother did the same in 2002. ive suffered depression for Years, 2 suicide attempts in 2008. I worry almost everyday that Ill maim myself again and not die. But as long as your solution is to kill yourself , you wont see them even if theyre right in front of you. Anyone with information is asked to contact private investigator Scott Dudek at (925) 705-8328 or Dudek.associates@gmail.com. When I woke up a day later, my depression had greatly improved. In February 2009, following the murder of a four-year-old girl who was thrown off the bridge by her father, the first stage of a temporary suicide barrier was erected on Westgate Bridge, constructed of concrete crash barriers topped with a welded mesh fence. Shortly after 1 p.m. on March 8, San Francisco officials pulled the fully clothed body of a 56-year-old white man from the waves off secluded Marshall's Beach, just south of the Golden Gate Bridge. West's family urges anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Scott Dudek, their investigator, who can be reached at 925-705-8328. For more information, please see our God will come through for you but you have to make an attempt. Here I thought I just occasionally drank too much. The memoir Half in Love: Surviving the Legacy of Suicide captures very well, to a painful degree, how someone who deeply loves their children can simultaneously feel pulled to end her life. Its sad how much youve suffered, and its inspirational how differently you feel right now. You can find a life worth living, too, if you set your mind to finding solutions. (felt good to be honest for once). Where Are They Now? This Walking Pad treadmill made getting 10,000 steps a How to get tickets for Depeche Mode's new tour dates. It is believed that she had moved out of the dorms into an apartment with some friends near campus. Video footage from the bridge has been carefully reviewed by investigators but due to foggy and smoky conditions camera views where obstructed making it impossible to tell her exact location on the bridge. She vanished without a trace from San Francisco, California, near the Golden Gate Bridge, a popular tourist spot for many. There are so many types of antidepressants these days (around 40), plus mood stabilizers, plus antipsychotic medications that can also be used to treat depression. I just got out two days ago. In 2000, he actually did jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Rhodes press agent, Susan Todd, told reporters that Dusty had painstakingly calculated the speed of his fall, how he would hit the water and other details, as he did when he prepared for his movie stunts. What % of those people were financially ruined (ie dead broke) with no job or no home? Sometimes, life just sucks and the pain of living is unbearable. We are going to keep looking.. The Golden Gate Bridge, which first opened in May 1937, was the most popular suicide site in the world during the documentary's filming, with approximately 1,200 deaths by 2003. She was at Crissy Field, near the bridge. Overall, a meta-analysis of numerous studies that looked at bridges suicide barriers found them to be effective. It's not hard to kill yourself at the Golden Gate bridge. The persons reasons for dying may begin to fade. My passion for helping suicidal people stems from my own lived experience with suicidality and suicide loss. Although severe depression led him to jump off the bridge, Kevin Hines has stated: "The very second I let go, I knew I had made a big mistake." Ken Baldwin. Golden Gate Bridge, suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate in California to link San Francisco with Marin county to the north. In 2013, 118 potential jumpers were talked down from their attempts and did not jump. I fully expected to talk to her the next day, Jay West told KRON4. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. First published on January 25, 2021 / 11:03 AM. For those who are thinking about suicide, I know what happens after youre gone isnt part of the thought process, but believe me, you might end your pain, but the trajectory of pain caused to others is also insurmountable. I am sure your mum will be watching over you, so sad that she caused you so much pain, please seek help, you are precious, with love xxx. Upon its completion in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world. I had my suicidal thoughts since I was a child I lost my mum when I was 9 years old she took her own life and even now after my attempt I still dont know how to feel about what happened to her and what I have done to my self but I know I will have to find a way to live with the impact of my attempt and hopefully find a way to some sort of happiness, Please seek help, therapy to work through your trauma, it must be so hard to have lost your mum in this way and your nine year old self could only feel abandoned, not enough to have stopped her. 2023 Audacy, Inc. All rights reserved. East Bay Wine & Whimsy (Metaphysical Market), Before & After Photos Show CA's Snowpack, Reservoirs After Storms, Best Bay Area Sandwiches + Stranded Hiker Rescued: Saturday Smiles, Sprawling Estates, Suburban Dreams: 11 Featured Bay Area Homes, Berkeley Police Warn Of Vehicle Theft Rise, The Poop On Free-Range Cats And Your Lawn And Garden [Block Talk]. Previously, police said she had not been seen or heard from since before dawn, on Sept. 29. If all else fails do something drastic. Footage in the area, according to a website the family recently set up in light of her disappearance, was blocked by fog and morning haze. I was determined and had written a detailed letter with instructions for the police and family. At approximately 6:45 am, Sydney was captured by cameras entering the Golden Gate Bridge. It is important to note that there has been no activity on her phone, bank accounts, or social media accounts since Sept. 30. A missing person case has also been launched in Orange County, North Carolina, where West's family lives. We dont like living in pain, and we look for ways of ending that pain and, being creatures of habit, we do it in old familiar ways because thats what we know. Enter your email address to receive notifications by email of new posts. While at Berkeley she joined the rowing team and showed a strong interest in medicine, business, and biological science. West, 20, grew up in Pleasanton, Calif. She was a star volleyball player at Foothill High School and loved singing at open mic nights. I hate when people invalidate another persons pain by suggesting a suicide attempt wasnt a sincere result of suffering. But overall, the evidence is that prevention is not simply a temporary delay of death. Clad in two suits, weighted boots, football padding, another rubber suit and a football helmet that onlookers described as giving him a man-from-Mars look, Rhodes also had three parachutes on his back to ease his fall. Im sorry to hear of your loss In fact, the increase in suicides at other locations in Toronto did not make up for the dramatic decrease in suicides at the viaduct itself. I am dead broke, have exhausted both my savings and retirement stash, I am about to have my car repod and cant find a job. But the other day I told him that and now hes moving in with me again so my life is going good again! KCBS IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF CBS BROADCASTING INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. In Mental Health circles there is a saying , that Sometimes suicide is inevitable. I wear various hats: I created and maintain this website, Speaking of Suicide, I'm an associate professor at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, and I have a psychotherapy and consulting practice. Construction of the Golden Gate Bridge suicide net, a coarse web of steel designed to catch and cradle people who jump, is two years behind . A couple hours. Even though 2/3 are started by women, Virtually every article is written by women. SFGATE's Editor-at-Large Andrew Chamings is a British writer in San Francisco. Im wondering if youve seen the post If Only: Self-Blame After a Loved Ones Suicide. I am literally living day by day and full of guilt, regret and anger. I love to see that in the Comments section; I find it beautiful when people can connect in this way and, even more, when someone can tell another person what they havent believed for themselves. . Andrew was formerly a Creative Executive at Westbrook Studios. This is perhaps the best argument for preventing suicide. West returned to the Bay Area for college at UC Berkeley after her family moved from Pleasanton to North Carolina several years ago. The Golden Gate net project is like putting a bandaid on an ulcer. Sydney West's parents confirmed she was last seen on the Golden Gate Bridge. Your pain matters. True or false is a perception that changes from person to person. Even so, bridge foreman Arthur Olson caught up with the stuntman as the crowd gathered, and grabbed him, but lost his grip, only succeeding in ripping free one of the harnesses. Keep pushing on. Dusty thought he could do the same but let everyone see it, and so employed the services of his pal, Hollywood cameraman Jose Guzman, to capture the jump on film. Indie Pop Star Michelle Lambert Kicks Off the Bankhead Courtyard Concert Series! In Toronto, the barrier at the Bloor Viaduct did not reduce the number of people who died of suicide by jumping in the city; it just moved them to other locations. Sydney West was last seen near the Golden Gate Bridge in the early morning hours of Sept. 30, walking near Crissy Field. Case Contact Information: SFPD at 415-575-444 or text TIP411 (Start your message with SFPD) Or contact: private investigator Scott Dudek at 925-705-8328 or dudek.associates@gmail.com, *there is a reward for information that leads to her location and return, For more info: https://findsydneywest.com/ Facebook: Find Sydney West Instagram @find_sydney_west Polly Klaas Foundation: https://www.pollyklaas.org/missing-children/sydney-west/, Sources: https://pleasantonweekly.com/news/2021/09/30/what-a-week-find-sydney-west https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area/searching-for-sydney-san-francisco-police-still-asking-for-publics-help/?fbclid=IwAR2uVE3anCjr5EvpUerTiD6JZxCAENR83-xIRz3TRzAfRuGckyYFzRqnobM https://storiesoftheunsolved.com/2020/11/27/the-disappearance-of-sydney-west/. If prior research is any indication, the barrier will save lives, even when taking into account people who go elsewhere to die by suicide. Anyone who has seen her since is also asked to contact San Francisco police at 415-575-4444 or the family's private investigator at 925-705-8328. "I just want to reach out to all the folks that have been supporting us over the past almost month now, communicate that the support and the love that we get is just absolutely amazing," Wests dad, Jay West, said in the clip. All theses years following, I did not feel good about myself, am reunited with my nephew, reading up on how to talk to him. Although severe depression led him to jump off the bridge, Kevin Hines has stated: The very second I let go, I knew I had made a big mistake.. He already had refused to get help or to stop drinking. Lets get real here life sucks and its hard but dont give up. Throughout the years, Ive engaged in self-injurious behaviors. Bonnie. The entire bridge in covered with CCTV cameras monitored 24/7, and footage is retained for 6 months as it is federal land and monitored by Homeland Security. Those two have shown some effectiveness at reducing suicidal ideation and behavior. But 10 years later, Im there again. Dressed in a blue sweatshirt, leggings and Vans slip-on sneakers, the 19-year-old college student last contacted her family the day before with a lengthy phone call to her dad, Jay West. The night before she disappeared (Sept. 29) she and her father Jay West had a lengthy phone conversation according to her family. At the time of her disappearance Sydney was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs around 130 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes.