  Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 418 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 24.223.133.177 |
In San Francisco the media, the Golden Gate Bridge Authority, the Suicide Hot Line and the citizenery all keep very accurate track of the number of people that have taken a dive off the Golden Gate Bridge into eternity. I was wondering if there is a running total of Penobscot Building Divers. Does anyone know or is this not a favorite venue for those unfortunates trying to end their lives. Or, is there another favorite location in Detroit where the doomed end it all? Just wondering! Livedog2  | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 456 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 68.43.107.72 |
Belle ISLE Bridge! | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 5919 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 70.236.198.22 |
Is it called Regent's Tower out in suburban Ann Arbor?! I've only known divers in Michigan from the university. | ||
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 419 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 24.223.133.177 |
I think you're right, Gannon. It seems to me that a U of M Regent did take a dive somewhere. Here she is -- Sarah Goddard Power (1935-1987). Committed suicide by jumping to her death from the eighth floor of Burton Tower, on the University of Michigan campus, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County, Mich., March 24, 1987. Gheez, there are a lot of politicians that have committed suicide: http://72.14.209.104/search?q= cache:FrV4mGbEbmkJ:politicalgr aveyard.com/death/suicide.html +university+of+michigan+suicid e+by+a+regent+member&hl=en&gl= us&ct=clnk&cd=4&client=firefox -a Unfortunately, the wrong ones did it and the right ones never do! Livedog2 | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 134 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 68.252.132.194 |
I remember a few years back a couple of young people taking their lives by jumping off a bridge over 696 in the Royal Oak/Ferndale area. | ||
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup Post Number: 1103 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 69.130.18.100 |
Actually most of the jumpers in Ann Arbor use parking structures. There have been a few jumpers from the Ambassador Bridge probably Mackinac, too. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 3862 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 24.11.154.56 |
Being that it's incredibly hard to get to the top of the Penobscot, I doubt there have been many. | ||
The_aram Member Username: The_aram Post Number: 4954 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 68.41.124.8 |
Lilpup is correct. Earlier this year in about a one month span, two people took a header off the South Forest parking structure on campus. And I think there have been more than just the Regent who have done so off the Burton Tower. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 3863 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 24.11.154.56 |
It's really not as rare as it should be in rigorous academic socieites (i.e. NYU) | ||
Jdkeepsmiling Member Username: Jdkeepsmiling Post Number: 106 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 208.50.91.234 |
Is there a reason that this is an actual topic of discussion???? | ||
Keystone Member Username: Keystone Post Number: 221 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 63.241.158.33 |
A few years ago, a guy took the dive inside the Ren Cen podium. A big fat guy, looked like he crushed the concrete floor.. but as it turns out, only thing crushed was him. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 540 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 75.9.255.242 |
A friend of our family did the dive from the Penobscot or the Guardian back in the 70s. Took out some poor guy who was heading into the office early that day. | ||
Mallory Member Username: Mallory Post Number: 21 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 207.230.140.240 |
Lmichigan, how wrong you are. I worked in the Penob from 88 - 91 and made it to the top. It's a pain in the arse because you have to take a couple of elevators to get to the top floor. If I remember correctly, there is an elevator that takes you from the second to the top floor to the top floor. yep, one floor. When you get out, all you see is wood panneling, an office door (maybe two, I don't remember) and the door to the roof (fire escape stairs). Been there, done that. As for diving off the building, I know of a story that had some woman do it after receiving bad news from her attorney whose office was in the Penob. Remember, this was the story that I heard, I can't confirm it. I will say that, when you get off the elevators, the window right there has a chain on it so you can only open it one or two inches. I was told they did that to make it hard for someone to open the window and dive. My office was on the 20th floor and I can remember opening the windows high enough that you could toss a desk out the window. Those were the days. BTW, is the statute of limitations expired on being somewhere you shouldn't be? | ||
Nainrouge Member Username: Nainrouge Post Number: 10 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 209.104.146.146 |
I just worked in the Penobscot about 2 yrs ago and we could open the windows far enough to jump if we were so inclined. I would think that it would be hard to get up there and open a window without someone seeing you and trying to stop you. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 2304 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 4.229.81.143 |
Yes and the Penobscot Building has all of those setbacks. Seems like parts of you would not make it to the bottom but get hacked off by the setbacks... sorta like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom... all those Sikh's grazing the cliff walls as they fall off the rope bridge... a grizzly end I'm sure.... (but without the Crocodiles). | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 94 Registered: 04-2006 Posted From: 64.131.176.232 |
There were a couple suicides out of windows at Markeley at U-M too... at least one of those was accidental, though. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 86 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 141.209.33.164 |
A Canadian just dove off the Blue Water Bridge yesterday. This link is to today's article about it, and I posted it because it includes a breif history of some of the recent jumpings. As a follow up to the article they found the body this morning. http://www.thetimesherald.com/ apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200 60614/NEWS01/606140307/1002 | ||
Susanarosa Member Username: Susanarosa Post Number: 901 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.39.170.90 |
My mom's cousin jumped off the Ambassador in the middle of a snow storm sometime in the late sixties, early seventies. They found him on the rocks a couple months later after the snow melted. | ||
Susanarosa Member Username: Susanarosa Post Number: 902 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.39.170.90 |
Augh, please tell me they didn't find him washed up on Stag Island. That's it, I'm never going in the water again... | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 3454 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 65.222.10.3 |
Two guys for sure jumped from the Book building. One was the head of the Local 58 Fund Office. They were way up there but cannot remember which floor. | ||
Sf_mike Member Username: Sf_mike Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 24.7.59.180 |
The SF Chronicle ran a week long series about the issue of people jumping off the GG bridge a few months ago. The big debate is whether or not to put up a suicide barrier. It's a major conflict for residents, most of whom think the suicide barrier would prevent "some" jumpers but they fear the asthetic damage that would be done to the bridge. Here is the link to the series if anyone is interested in reading about it. http://www.sfgate.com/lethalbe auty/ Mike San Francisco | ||
Livedog2 Member Username: Livedog2 Post Number: 427 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 71.10.61.35 |
There was a documentary on either the History Channel or National Geographic about the suicides off of the Golden Gate Bridge. The interesting part was that they did a couple of interviews with people that lived -- you can believe it!And, without question or hesitation they wished they hadn't done it judt as soon as they jumped. It's the old saying, "Don't give up five minutes before the miracle." Livedog2 | ||
Erichp77 Member Username: Erichp77 Post Number: 176 Registered: 12-2003 Posted From: 71.148.30.247 |
Try the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron. http://www.thetimesherald.com/ apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200 60614/NEWS01/606140307/1002 | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 91 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 68.42.80.245 |
A little late Erichp77, but it's nice to see people are looking up my way! Don't worry Susan, the update said he was found in about 40 feet of water about a quarter mile from the bridge. That's a good 5 miles at least from Stag Island. | ||
Burnsie Member Username: Burnsie Post Number: 442 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 35.12.23.90 |
A woman jumped from the 20th floor of Hudson's onto Farmer St. in the '60s or '70s, according to Jean Madderne Pitrone's book. | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1118 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 198.208.159.18 |
I thought i remembered hearing about someone jumping off the i-75 rouge river bridge within the last year.. | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 760 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 68.42.176.123 |
Am I the only one who thinks it's just a little bit funny that someone with the handle "Gravitymachine" is posting on this thread? | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1119 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 198.208.159.18 |
don't make me flip the reverse polarity switch!! | ||
Patrick Member Username: Patrick Post Number: 3456 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 65.222.10.3 |
I wouldn’t even jump from dock near the Blue Water Bridge. It is the most powerful continuous current in the world…or at least one of them from what I have read. A few divers have died out there while looking for wrecks. | ||
Andyguard73 Member Username: Andyguard73 Post Number: 93 Registered: 03-2006 Posted From: 68.42.80.245 |
Right under the bridge its rough, there's an undercurrent that I've heard can take you right under if you get caught in it. There've been times where we've gone diving in the area, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone venture more than 20 feet out from the wall without scuba gear. |
