Suicide prevention signage installed on Piscataqua River Bridge

Yahoo

17-05-2025

May 17—Following a string of suicides over the Piscataqua River, officials this week installed new signage on bridges aimed at reducing such attempts, but some locals and mental health advocates say more needs to be done.
In less than two weeks, from late April to early May, three people died by suicide after jumping into the river. Two jumped from the Piscataqua River Bridge that carries Interstate 95 between New Hampshire and Maine, and another from the smaller Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, according to state and local law enforcement.
Kelly Hartnett, vice president of community relations at Portsmouth-based Seacoast Mental Health Center, said seeing so many deaths in such a narrow window of time is "definitely unusual" compared to trends over the last decade.
"I have not experienced this type of event in that frequency," in about six years on the job, Hartnett said.
On Thursday, the New Hampshire Department of Transportation installed six signs on the larger bridge — three each on the northbound and southbound sides — Hartnett said.
She said the agency, which assists with some crisis calls on and around the bridges, had already been working with the Portsmouth Police Department to install signage and other preventative measures.
"We had been working on that initiative prior to the unfortunate events. That kind of accelerated the efforts," she said.
The signs bear a relatively simple message: "There is hope. YOU MATTER. Text. Call. Chat. 988."
That number rings the national suicide and crisis lifeline, which connects individuals with a live counselor and local resources.
"It's a step forward, but we are looking now to add nets or some kind of barriers. That's the evidence-based model, having both (signs and barriers)," Hartnett said.
When an individual plans to die by suicide, they often do so hastily or impulsively, so a clear and quick message helps get through to those in crisis, Hartnett said. When more time is created between someone planning and acting, crisis teams have a better chance of intervening.
In that sense, even physical barriers that appear scalable require additional effort and help create a buffer in time, she said.
Multiple studies have shown that safety barriers are extremely effective at reducing the suicide rate on a particular structure and, in some cases, the overall suicide rate within a community.
This latest string of suicides came as crews began installing safety fencing on the Penobscot Narrows Bridge in Augusta. That project is expected to cost about $1.35 million and is slated for completion in July, according to Maine Department of Transportation spokesperson Damian Veilleux.
The fencing was mandated by the Maine Legislature in 2023 after a number of similar bills had failed to pass. The project was delayed slightly by testing to determine the fences' potential impact on the bridge's overall wind resistance.
CALLS FOR MORE
More than 1,600 local residents have signed an online petition calling for safety nets to be installed on the Piscataqua River Bridge.
"In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the threat of suicide is painfully real. The Piscataqua River Bridge offers a tempting means for individuals considering suicide," organizers wrote in the petition.
That petition was created on May 12, shortly after a minor — later revealed to be a Sanford High School student — jumped to his death. Police pulled his body from the water around 6 a.m. that morning, about nine hours after his empty car was found on the bridge.
Friends, family and classmates gathered on Wells Beach Wednesday for a vigil honoring Jonathan "Jony" Hunter, a 16-year-old football player, Seacoastonline reported. There, his loved ones said there had been few to no warning signs that the teenager, known for his big heart, had been struggling.
Hunter's death came less than two weeks after an earlier pair of suicides that took place April 30.
New Hampshire State Police responded to a call of a stopped car in the Piscataqua River Bridge's northbound breakdown lane and determined that an unidentified man had jumped to his death, the department said in a written release.
A few hours later, police in Portsmouth got a report of a missing person. The next morning, officers learned that a person matching that description had jumped from the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge, the local department said.
Tyler Dumont, spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, said the state police are "working closely" with partner groups to create additional suicide prevention methods, and he urged anyone struggling with thoughts of self-harm to call the crisis lifeline at 988.
"The Department remains committed to doing all we can to reduce suicide risks and promote safety for everyone in our state," Dumont said in a written statement.
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IF YOU NEED HELP
IF YOU or someone you know is in immediate danger, dial 911.
FOR ASSISTANCE during a mental health crisis, call or text 888-568-1112. To call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call 988 or chat online at 988lifeline.org.
FOR MORE SUPPORT, call the NAMI Maine Help Line at 800-464-5767 or email [e-mail].
OTHER Maine resources for mental health, substance use disorder and other issues can be found by calling 211.
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