Cornell gorge suicides

The Cornell gorge suicides were a series of suicides at Cornell University beginning in the 1970s and including a high-profile cluster of six suicides in the 2009–10 school year. The suicides occurred on bridges that span several gorges on Cornell's Ithaca campus.

Cornell's Thurston Avenue Bridge in 2009
The same bridge in 2018, after installation of suicide nets

History

An investigation by Cornell University alumnus Rob Fishman, writing in The Huffington Post, found that multiple suicides had occurred in the 1970s and 1990s.[1] Between 1991 and 1994, five students died by suicide in the gorges.[1]

The half-dozen suicides in the 2009–2010 academic year marked the first instances of student suicides at Cornell since 2005. Stepped-up efforts to help students with mental health issues began in 2002 and intensified after David J. Skorton became Cornell's president in 2007.[2] New fences were set up following the 2010 gorge suicides.[3] Cornell indicated that it planned to set up nets on five of the university's bridges, which will extend out 15 feet.[3] Installation of the nets began in May 2013 and were completed over the summer.[4] Between 1990 and 2010, 27 people, including fifteen Cornell students as well as others, had killed themselves from bridge-jumping in Ithaca.[3]

The first survivor of a fall from the infamous Thurston Avenue bridge was Derek McCarthy, who attempted suicide on the night of October 21, 1991.[5][6] Having recovered sufficiently from his injuries, McCarthy returned to Cornell in May 1992 and completed his undergraduate degree in December 1992.

Despite the gorge suicides, Cornell does not have an above-average suicide rate compared to other colleges. The misperception of a high suicide rate has been attributed by some to the public nature of suicides in the gorges.[1][2]

References
  1. Fishman, Rob (December 16, 2010). "Cornell Suicides: Do Ithaca's Gorges Invite Jumpers?". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  2. Epstein, Jennifer (March 10, 2010). "Does 6 deaths in 6 months make Cornell 'suicide school'?". USA Today. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  3. "Cornell Suicides: Nets To Cover Gorges Around School's Campus". The Huffington Post. August 20, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  4. "Means restriction nets in place, Cornell takes down bridge fences after three years". today.14850.com. Retrieved 2016-03-10.
  5. "Student Flown to Hospital Following Suicide Attempt". The Cornell Daily Sun. October 22, 1991.
  6. "Student Still in Hospital After Attempted Suicide". The Cornell Daily Sun. October 23, 1991.
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