By Gloria Rodríguez 

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The Golden Gate bridge has a suicide prevention net along the full length of the 1.7-mile span. And it appears to be working.

According to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, there were 8 suicides at the bridge in 2024, the first full year with the net and a 73% decline from the annual average of 30 before the net.

Last year, there were 4 suicides. That's an 87% decline.

There were zero suicides from June through December.

The Bridge Rail Foundation advocated for the net.

"This is exactly what we were hoping to see," said Bridge Rail Foundation Board President Narges Zohoury Dillon.

"In the field of suicide prevention, we know that restricting access to means is the most effective way that we can reduce suicides."

There has been signage along the Golden Gate Bridge with information about crisis counseling for many years.

Advocates say that wasn't enough and that these new numbers are encouraging.

The total cost of the project was $224 million, funded through a combination of federal, state and private funds.

Santa Rosa resident Thorton McKay is a standup comic who survived a suicide attempt off the Golden Gate Bridge. He feels that money should have been used to help people in other ways.

"As somebody whose survived jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge, I think that money could have went to mental health. It could have benefitted other nonprofits," McKay said. "I think the suicide net was like a band aid on a band aid."

McKay feels people will find other ways to die by suicide.

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Meredith Sears is the "Greater San Francisco Bay Area" chapter president of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and a psychologist.

She agrees access to mental health care is important, but says reducing access to lethal means can save lives.

"What we do know from research on suicide and access to lethal means is that there isn't a lot of evidence to suggest that people do tend to substitute-when they have a preferred means of suicide, they don't tend to move on to a different type of means if that means is unavailable for them," Sears said. "So for example, if someone has been thinking about jumping from a specific bridge-when they don't have access to that bridge, they don't tend to move on to other types of means or other bridges."

Experts say suicide is a complex issue and that preventing it takes a multi-prong approach.

The Golden Gate Bridge was the top suicide site in the world for years.

According to the Bridge Rail Foundation, there have been at least 1,800 suicide deaths from the bridge.

Those with suicidal thoughts can reach out for support from those around them or to mental health professionals or call 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16387