New York City’s famous suicide spot will reopen later this year with large anti-cut mesh safety screens after four visitors committed suicide by jumping from the luxury resort.
The Vessel, located on the west side of Manhattan, is a 150-foot-tall work of art in the shape of an inverted beehive made up of stairs and platforms.
Three visitors have jumped to their deaths from the climbable sculpture in less than a year, leading to the ship’s closure in January 2021.
It reopened later that year with additional rules, including a ban on single visitors, but was closed again after a 14-year-old jumped from the structure while visiting 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 famous suicide spot will reopen later this year with large anti-cut mesh safety screens after four visitors committed suicide by jumping from the swanky resort.
The Vessel, located on the west side of Manhattan, is a 150-foot-tall work of art in the shape of an inverted beehive made up of stairs and platforms. Pictured: Authorities on scene after 14-year-old jumps ship
Three visitors jumped to their deaths from the climbable sculpture in less than a year, leading to the ship’s closure in January 2021. Pictured: Peter DeSalvo, 19 (left) and Yocheved Gourarie, 24 ( right), who took their lives jumping from the structure
A “floor-to-ceiling steel mesh” is currently installed on the building’s rotating staircases and platforms as a safety measure, according to the spokesperson.
“Through a closely coordinated effort with Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio, we developed a plan to install a floor-to-ceiling steel truss on the ship while preserving the unique experience that has attracted millions of visitors from around the world “said the spokesperson. in a report.
The first two levels will be fully open to visitors, while on the upper levels only areas with barriers will be accessible, as CBS reports.
Floor to ceiling mesh is not possible at the highest level as it must be fixed at the top and bottom of each floor, the upper level will remain closed.
City officials and local community councils have long called for added protections to the structure since the first suicide.
Jessica Chait, president of the Manhattan Community Council, said the security measure should have been added sooner.
“While we believe it took Related four lifetimes too many to make these physical adjustments, these are the changes we have requested that will prioritize the safety of all who visit the ship.” she told AP.
The first two levels will be fully open to visitors, while on the upper levels only areas with barriers will be accessible, as reported by CBS.
Floor to ceiling mesh is not possible at the highest level as it must be fixed at the top and bottom of each floor, the upper level will remain closed
The first suicide at the ship occurred in February 2020, when 19-year-old Connecticut student Peter DeSalvo jumped to his death from the structure’s 16th floor in front of dozens of tourists.
DeSalvo, of Basking Ridge, New Jersey, was a freshman at Sacred Heart University where he also played rugby.
A few months later, Yocheved Gourarie, 24, committed suicide shortly before Christmas. His apparent suicide note was shared in a scheduled posthumous post on his Instagram account.
Gourarie wrote: “Hey. It’s quite surreal, isn’t it? You could say uncomfortable. Discordant. Just close the app now if you want. I guess if you don’t know by now, you should probably sit down.
“If you’re reading this, I’m gone. Either that or I’m incapacitated at the hospital, so I can’t delete this scheduled message. I really hope not.
Gourarie wrote that she “didn’t care to go into the reasons why I left, but there are definitely more than thirteen”, referencing the popular young adult novel and Netflix television series, 13 Reasons Why, about high school students. following the suicide of a classmate.
The first suicide at the ship occurred in February 2020, when 19-year-old Connecticut student Peter DeSalvo jumped to his death from the structure’s 16th floor in front of dozens of tourists.
A few months later, Yocheved Gourarie, 24, committed suicide shortly before Christmas. His apparent suicide note was shared in a scheduled posthumous post on his Instagram account
A police car is seen outside the ship following the third suicide which occurred in January 2021, when Franklin Washington, 21, killed himself by jumping from the ship.
Three weeks later, the third person, 21-year-old Franklin Washington, committed suicide by jumping from the ship.
Before his death, he was wanted as a person of interest in the stabbing death of his mother, the New York Post reported.
Michelle Washington-Hart, 56, was found murdered Friday in her apartment in the 7600 block of Highway 90 East in San Antonio after family members were unable to reach her and asked a welfare check, KSAT reported.
Following the three suicides, the $200 million tourist attraction was briefly closed. When it reopened in May 2021, new rules were developed in an effort to prevent further suicides.
The building has banned single visitors with a minimum of two people per visit. Staff were also deployed in the structure to search for people in distress.
Two months after it reopened, a 14-year-old boy from New Jersey jumped from the eighth floor of the 150-foot structure while visiting his parents, sister and grandmother.
For confidential help, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
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