For years I have been writing about what we can learn from the suicide survivor about the advisability of suicide. All of the my clients who survived suicide attempts have said the same thing–they are so glad that they did not succeed.
Now, we have a man who jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge and lived and has decided to share his testimony. His name is Kevin Hines, and on he survived a suicide attempt when jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. In a moving article written for the New York Post, Hines recounts, “In the midst of my free fall, I said to myself these words, words I thought no one would ever hear me repeat: “What have I done? I don’t want to die. God, please save me!”
Somehow Hines was able to land feet first so that he was able to go straight down into the water without breaking his back. He fought for life and was able to reemerge, even though he had broken his legs. Here is what he says as he continues his story:
“Something profound occurred after I broke the surface of the water. My faith in God returned — with force. After my mental breakdown and up until the moment I jumped, I had questioned the existence of a higher power. Not anymore. I felt God’s presence right beside me. He bobbed in the water with me.”
Hines was rescued by the coast guard shortly thereafter. Since then, he has been traveling the country as a suicide survivor and speaker on suicide prevention and mental health awareness. His memoir, Cracked Not Broken, details his survival from the suicide attempt and his struggle with mental illness (Hines was suffering from bipolar disorder at the time of his suicide attempt.)
On March 5th, 2014, Kevin was interviewed on the Preston and Steve Morning Show on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To listen to the interview, click here. Kevin’s testimony echoes my own. We never know what life has planned for us. That’s why that no matter how dark the hour, we must persist and hang in there–for the darkest hour is truly just before the dawn.
Douglas Bloch, December 9, 2014. Portland, Oregon.
