New York City’s notorious suicide site will reopen later this year with large cut-proof mesh security screens after four visitors took their own lives by jumping from the luxury complex.
The Vessel, located on the west side of Manhattan, is a 150-foot-tall inverted beehive-shaped work of art made up of stairs and platforms.
Three visitors jumped to their deaths from the climbable sculpture in less than a year, prompting the Vessel to close in January 2021.
It reopened later that year with additional rules, including a ban on lone visitors, but closed again after a 14-year-old boy jumped from the structure while visiting his family.
A spokesperson for Related Companies, which owns Hudson Yards, said Friday that the monument will reopen to the public later this year, although the exact reopening date is unclear.
New York City’s notorious suicide site will reopen later this year with large cut-proof mesh security screens after four visitors took their own lives by jumping from the luxury complex.
The Vessel, located on the west side of Manhattan, is a 150-foot-tall inverted beehive-shaped work of art made up of stairs and platforms. Pictured: Authorities at the scene after a 14-year-old boy jumped from the boat.
Three visitors jumped to their deaths from the climbable sculpture in less than a year, prompting the Vessel to close in January 2021. Pictured: Peter DeSalvo (left), 19, and Yocheved Gourarie (right), 19 24 years old, who took their lives by jumping from the structure
According to the spokesperson, “floor-to-ceiling steel mesh” is currently being installed on the building’s spiral staircases and platforms as a safety measure.
“Through a closely coordinated effort with Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, we have developed a plan to install floor-to-ceiling steel mesh at Vessel while preserving the unique experience that has attracted millions of visitors from around the world. “said the spokesperson. in a sentence.
The first two levels will be completely open to visitors, while only areas with barriers will be accessible on the upper levels, according to CBS.
Floor-to-ceiling mesh is not possible at the highest level as it must be secured at both the top and bottom of each floor; the upper level will remain closed.
City officials and local community boards have long called for protections to be added to the structure since the first suicide incident occurred.
Jessica Chait, president of the Manhattan Community Board, said the safety measure should have been added sooner.
“While we believe that it took Relatados too many four lives to make these physical adjustments, these are the changes we requested, which will allow us to prioritize the safety of everyone who visits the Ship,” he said. AP.
The first two levels will be completely open to visitors, while on the upper levels only areas with barriers will be accessible, according to CBS.
Floor-to-ceiling mesh is not possible at the highest level as it must be secured at both the top and bottom of each floor; the upper level will remain closed
The first suicide on the Vessel occurred in February 2020, when Peter DeSalvo, a 19-year-old Connecticut college student, jumped to his death from the 16th floor of the structure in front of dozens of tourists.
DeSalvo, from Basking Ridge, New Jersey, was a freshman at Sacred Heart University, where he also played rugby.
Months later, Yocheved Gourarie, 24, committed suicide shortly before Christmas. His apparent suicide note was shared in a posthumous scheduled post on his Instagram account.
Gourarie wrote: ‘Hello. This is quite surreal isn’t it? You could say uncomfortable. Discordant. Just close the app now if you want. I guess if you don’t already know you should probably sit down.
‘If you’re reading this, I’m leaving. Either that or I’m somehow incapacitated in the hospital so I can’t delete this scheduled post. I really hope it’s not.’
Gourarie wrote that he “didn’t mind going into the reasons I left, but there are certainly more than thirteen,” referencing the popular young adult novel and Netflix television series, 13 Reasons Why, about high school students in after the suicide of a classmate.
The first suicide on the Vessel occurred in February 2020, when Peter DeSalvo, a 19-year-old Connecticut college student, jumped to his death from the 16th floor of the structure in front of dozens of tourists.
Months later, Yocheved Gourarie, 24, committed suicide shortly before Christmas. His apparent suicide note was shared in a posthumous scheduled post on his Instagram account.
A police car is seen outside the ship following the third suicide in January 2021, when 21-year-old Franklin Washington took his own life by jumping from the ship.
Three weeks later, the third person, 21-year-old Franklin Washington, took his own life by jumping from the ship.
Before he died, he was wanted as a person of interest in the stabbing death of his mother, the police reported. New York Post.
Michelle Washington-Hart, 56, was found murdered inside her apartment in the 7600 block of Highway 90 East in San Antonio on Friday after family members were unable to contact her and requested a welfare check, reported KSAT.
After the three suicides, the $200 million tourist attraction was briefly closed. When it reopened in May 2021, new rules were made in an effort to prevent more suicides.
The building implemented a ban on lone visitors with a minimum of two people per visit. Personnel were also placed in the structure looking for people in danger.
Two months after it reopened, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey jumped from the eighth floor of the 150-foot structure during a visit to his parents, sister and grandmother.
For confidential support, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255