SF commemorates Golden Gate Bridge suicide net completion

An addition to the most iconic span in the Bay Area was commemorated on Monday, with some saying the finished project was a long time coming.

Walking along the Golden Gate Bridge, Dayna Whitmer headed to a spot that may look unremarkable to most. But for her, it's sacred ground.

"I wish I knew what he was thinking being out here along with the fog," she said.

At the bridge's 97th lamp post is where her son Matthew stood for the last time before jumping to his death 17 years ago.

"I woke up with that feeling that everything was wrong, because he was calling for me as he was falling," she said choking back tears.

Since then, Whitmer has been fighting for a solution, hoping to spare others the same pain.

On Monday, her wish finally came true, as the city commemorated the completion of a suicide prevention net on both sides of the nearly two-mile span. Net construction began in 2018 and was completed in early 2024.

For Whitmer, the moment was bittersweet.

"Knowing that I was part of this, being able to help stop suicides here in a way makes me proud, but it makes me sad that it had to come to this," she explained.

The nets are already deterring people from jumping. According to the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, there was an average of 30 suicides from the bridge every year, making it one of the most deadly landmarks in the world.

In 2023, while the nets were still under construction, the number dropped by more than half.

In September of 2000, Kevin Hines jumped off the bridge and miraculously survived.

"The moment my hands left the rail, i had an instantaneous regret for my actions and the absolute recognition that i made the absolute greatest mistake of my life," he said.

These days, he's working on a documentary called "The Net" about the near century-long effort to get the project done.

Hines says bridge officials dismissed the idea for decades. It was only after a small number of parents, including his own father, formed a group called the Bridge Rail Foundation that it finally happened.

"I appreciate what they've done. I'm grateful. But it's too little too late," he said.

Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District General Manager Denis Mulligan said the project faced resistance from people who didn't want to alter the iconic landmark.

"We had a lot of people saying, 'Don't do it.' We had thousands more saying, 'Do it.' And so it was a very challenging process to navigate," Mulligan said.

Whitmer believes her son Matthew would have been proud.

"I would have gotten one of his hugs, definitely. He would be happy that I was a part of it," she said.

If you or anyone you know is struggling, there is help available by calling or texting the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline at 988.