A man is presumed dead, and a woman has been hospitalized after two people attempted suicide off of the George Washington Bridge in separate incidents within minutes of each other on Friday. A Port Authority spokesman says that a 29-year-old South American man was spotted jumping off the south pathway of the bridge on the NJ side just after 7 p.m. yesterday. Harbor police are still searching for the man's body.
About a minute after that happened, a 24-year-old woman stopped a car in traffic also on the NJ side, got out and climbed over a north walkway railing. Two motorists got out and grabbed her before she jumped: “The good Samaritans definitely got there and went above and beyond,” said PA spokesman Joe Pentangelo.
The woman, who had several packets of heroin on her, was hospitalized, and could face drug charges.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
