Sunshine Skyway Bridge fencing helps prevent people from taking their own lives

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Over the last 35 years, hundreds of people died by suicide after jumping from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. Last summer, the state finished installing fencing to try to prevent these suicides, and the rates have significantly dropped.

Gary King of Pinellas County lost his only son, Jason, nearly a decade ago after he jumped from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. King said he struggled his entire life. 

"I called him and I said, J, 'I'm just boarding this plane, I called to tell you I love you.' He said, ‘Dad, I love you, too.’ And that's the last words I ever heard from him. ‘Dad, I love you, too.’ And I boarded the plane, and the night I got there, I got the phone call," King recalled.

Since the cable-stayed bridge opened in 1987, many have taken their own life. To try and prevent this, six hotline crisis phones that connect to suicide prevention staff were added in 1999. FHP troopers also patrol the bridge 24 hours a day, and there are pedestrian and stopped vehicle detectors along with cameras on the span to help reduce the response time when drivers park on the bridge.

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Last summer, FDOT finished a $3 million project installing an 11-foot-high safety fence along the span. The barrier runs about 1.5 miles on both sides of the bridge.

"That mended part of my heart," King said.  "There is no question in my mind that the fence is a deterrent."

State officials said the fencing has been more than effective at saving lives.

Historically, there have been 12 to 15 suicides from the bridge each year. According to FHP data, from June 23, 2021 through May 25, 2022, only two people have jumped to their death. Eleven others attempted to commit suicide and were stopped.     

Experts call it a major accomplishment but said countless people are still contemplating ending their lives.

"And that’s why it's so important for everybody out there to recognize that there are resources available, that nobody has to face their crisis alone, whatever that is," said Clara Reynolds, president & CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. "And that this epidemic of suicide is 100% preventable if our families, and our friends, and our neighbors, our coworkers recognize when somebody's struggling and asking them, how are you doing."

She said we are all responsible for suicide prevention, and calling for help could be the gateway to support someone's needs. You can dial 211 on your phone, or call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-8255.