Posted on 11/26/2004 3:54:54 PM PST by SmithL
NEW YORK -- A man jumped to his death Friday from the 86th-floor observation deck at the Empire State Building, one of Manhattan's busiest tourist destinations, police said.
The apparent suicide forced police to briefly close the landmark on Fifth Avenue to tourists in New York for the holiday weekend.
The man apparently climbed over a security fence that encloses the observation deck before leaping off. He hit a landing on the sixth floor, where he died instantly, police said.
No identification was found on his body.
At least 31 other people have committed suicide at the Empire State Building since it opened in 1931. More than 3.8 million people visit the tourist attraction each year, according to the building's Web site.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
As he passed each floor, he thought so-far-so-good.
It could have been much worse if he had been able to clear the step outs of the lower floors and reach the sidewalk. If that had happened, he could have killed a few innocent bystanders.
I guess one would have to mean it for pills to be effective. Take enough to do the job and make sure there won't be interruptions.
Mailing a note to somebody would be a nice touch too, so the body is found before it becomes icky.
My mom has the same problem. She is extremely apprehensive of heights and certainly has no desire for suicide. She says the feeling is so excruciating that she just feels like jumping to go ahead and get it over with.
Sure! Go ahead and laugh at the whole sorry spectacle! But don't you see? Now don't you understand what we've been begging the congress for lo all these many years? What is wrong with and, after this, how can anyone be opposed to some "common sense building control"?
I remember my grandfather teeling me the stroy of a young girl that jumped (in the40's) My Gramps was on the sidewalk next to the car that she landed on----said she looked asleep....except for some weird stuff coming from her ears
Problem was a cop came up to Gramps and asked him to remove his coat....because some of her brains ad splattered all over the back of it.
(he had his back to the car---and heard some yelling, but had looked sideways---instead of straight up) the sound of the impact made him nearly have to change his drawers. The car roof was pushed down almost 4 feet.
He never forgot that---and always felt sorry for her. My Grandmother, on the other hand, was not nearly as charitable for someone almost pile-driving my Gramps into the pavement.
The suicide jumper is an a**hole who could have killed an innocent pedestrian if trajectory or wind conditions were different. He deserves our contempt.
~ Blue Jays ~
What? No pictures...?
Trajan88
Exactly. I've always thought of pills as the proverbial "cry for help". Serious people resort to guns.
read my post----it nearly happened to my GP
It's nature's way of culling the herd.
The WCBS (AM 880) web headline for this says "Deadly leap from Empire State Building." Like there's another kind!
In the spirit of George W. Bush: may God bless your soul, too.
It's funny how so many supposed Christians miss the message of Jesus Christ, but thankfully our President doesn't. He could even ask God for mercy for the soul of an evil man like Arafat.
I feel sorry for his family.
There is a very famous WeeGee photograph of that suicide. She does look asleep. Didn't even mess with her make-up.
The car she landed on was crumpled to the base of the windshield, shows the speed and force with which she hit, considering the construction and materials of automobiles then.
As terrible as this is to contemplate, I believe a death of this sort is probably as easy as it gets. You're travelling around 200 mph when you hit, and by the time any sensation of pain can reach your brain, your brain is gone.
We must have been posting at about the same time.
I've seen period photographs from the 1930's-1940's and believe I've seen the very picture you mentioned. The youngish, brunette woman is sprawled somewhat sideways and the roof of the car is almost "enveloped" around her. It is very gruesome stuff, but I'm glad to hear your grandfather was uninjured.
~ Blue Jays ~
V = sqrt ( (2 * W) / (Cd * r * A) )
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