English 'Suicide' Cliff too Popular

[Hum]

Horrified rescue workers have told of the moment they narrowly missed being crushed by a car which was driven off Beachy Head as they worked on the rocks below. :huh:

Coastguards were attempting to rescue a man who was believed to have jumped from the notorious East Sussex suicide spot, after children reported a body in the water.

As the 12-strong team attempted to remove the man's body a Toyota 4x4 was driven off the 500ft cliff, plunging into the waves just yards away.

Some were so traumatised by the incident that they have been offered counselling.

A lifeboat, helicopter and officers from three stations were scrambled for a desperate search to find the driver.

Dover Coastguard's Rescue centre manager Spike Hughes said: "The chaplaincy at Eastbourne contacted us after some kids said there was a body floating in the water.

"We were preparing to retrieve the body when all of a sudden, a car drove off the cliff at the same time.

"We made our way to the car as it was more likely the man in the vehicle would still be alive.

"The tide was in, which made it very difficult. A coastguard helicopter spotted the second man's body in the water. He had been thrown clear of the car.

"Obviously that sort of thing does happen quite a lot at Beachy Head. But the fact that this person drove off at the same time as we were preparing to remove a body has made it a little hard for us to take in."

Mr Hughes said Coastguard officers were shocked by the incident, at 4pm on Monday, and had been offered counselling to cope with the tragedy. One had to be airlifted to a nearby hospital suffering minor injuries.

Beachy Head has been an infamous suicide venue for hundreds of years. The 500ft drop sees an average of 20 deaths-per-year.

Sussex police say they are not treating the deaths as suspicious and have not identified the pair who died.

source

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The suicide rate is so high in that area that there is an actual "spot" where people do it? That's kinda disturbing.

[Yasha]

The suicide rate is so high in that area that there is an actual "spot" where people do it? That's kinda disturbing.

Not really. I'm sure there's probably a bridge, or the like around you that is used. The Delaware memorial bridge here probably gets about 20 per month, rather than per year. Suicide rates go up every year. Usually far more male. It's simply not usually aired or spoken about due to the simply fact that those that might not be in the "best state of mind" might add to the statistic. As I understand it, news agencies are usually asked to not report on it, and usually comply.

[roadgeek9]

Okay, I'd be a bit worried myself.

[ambushed]

The suicide rate is so high in that area that there is an actual "spot" where people do it? That's kinda disturbing.

Any large cliff or high bridge in populated areas are usually suicide "hot spots". A large ocean facing cliff face around 10 kms from me sees a fair few suicides. A similar place to the story one exists in Sydney known as "The Gap". It sees about 60 suicides a year from memory. A popular Australian newsreader jumped from it last year. They're often pretty notorious.

But on topic, driving your car off? Thats pretty ballsy. I'll give the benefit of the doubt that they didnt think to check if anyone was down there beforehand. Had a Coastguard member been killed as well it would have been pretty tragic

[PL_ Veteran]

The suicide rate is so high in that area that there is an actual "spot" where people do it? That's kinda disturbing.

I don't think there's any fences there, and it's a pretty high spot. I wouldn't say suicide rates are that high, it's just earned a reputation.

[Yasha]

Okay, I'd be a bit worried myself.

For here? Not really. Compared with Washington state we're practically happy and stoned by comparison.

It does get higher every year, but it's like that everywhere really. Some like Washington state have the added mood factors, colder, overcast 80% of the time, less densely populated areas, less females, etc. Depression is the single most common aliment, happens far more than the common cold, but is seen as a sign of weakness... So the statistics go up, and it becomes worse the more we become more cut off from others as we become more wired. But this has been happening for the past century or so, the more technology advances, the more face-to-face social aspects of our societies are removed. Doubly-so now that religion and subsequently churches and church related activities have really started to decline in recent years. I'm almost tempted to go to ours down the road here just for the social aspect, but I'm not sure how well "I'm just here for the chicks" would go over with the local pastor.

Of course if I went to the catholic one, the priest might just chime in with a rejoinder saying "I'm just here for the alter-boys".

*shrug*

Edited August 30, 2008 by Yasha

[Alexandre.]

I had a dream last night like this 0.o, a guy just drove into the sea with 4x4 of a cliff. scary 0.o