The moment Ken Baldwin jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge one August morning in 1985, he was overcome with regret: “I quickly realized that everything I thought was irreparable in my life was completely repairable except for the fact that I jumped,” he later said. He told The New Yorker.
Miraculously, Baldwin survived, but the vast majority of people who jump (about 1,500 since the bridge opened in 1937) do not. It takes four seconds for you to reach the water in the Golden Gate Strait, at which point you’re falling at 75 miles per hour. Hitting the water is like hitting concrete. Those who don’t die on impact either lose the ability to stay afloat or eventually die of hypothermia.
California Highway Patrol officer Kevin Briggs knows all too well what jumping can do to the body, and the darkness that can lead people to make a fatal leap. A veteran of the Army infantry and former San Quentin prison guard, Briggs is seeking treatment for severe depression.
Perhaps this gave him the perspective he needed to help people like Kevin Barcia: In 2005, the 22-year-old was clinging to the railing of a bridge, inches from death, when he heard Briggs’ voice.
He didn’t try to stop Bertier from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead, he just let Bertier talk. “Somehow, the compassion in your voice was enough to let me down and have a conversation,” Bertier said. He later told BriggsNinety minutes later, Bertier fell over the banister.
During his 23-year career (he retired in 2013 and now works in suicide prevention), Briggs prevented more than 200 people from jumping to their deaths.
his A typical opening Briggs’ advice was to ask, “What are your plans for tomorrow?” If they didn’t, he would reply, “Okay, let’s make one. If it doesn’t work out, you can come back here later.” That so many people followed his advice is a testament to Briggs’ skill and the power of giving someone your complete, undivided attention.
