Area mental health leaders are helping bring suicide prevention signage to the Piscataqua River Bridge this year and will advocate for suicide barriers to be installed on the three bridges connecting New Hampshire and Maine.
A string of emergency responses at the high-level Interstate 95 bridge and the neighboring Sarah Mildred Long Bridge occurred last Wednesday and Thursday.
One man died by suicide after he leapt from the Piscataqua River Bridge Wednesday night. A second unidentified person remains missing after jumping from the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge less than two hours afterward, according to Portsmouth police. Then, Thursday afternoon, authorities responded again to the Piscataqua River Bridge and safely helped a teenager off the bridge who climbed onto the catwalk of the massive structure.
Jennifer Lane, a spokesperson for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, said there are no plans in motion to add suicide barriers to the Piscataqua River Bridge, the Sarah Mildred Long Bridge or the Memorial Bridge.
Seacoast Mental Health Center officials were already coordinating with New Hampshire and Maine agencies to install suicide prevention signs on the Piscataqua River Bridge prior to the three incidents. The signage would include the national 988 suicide lifeline number with words of encouragement for anyone struggling.
Read more from Seacoast Online here.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
If you need help:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness - New Hampshire offers the following resources to those in distress:
- NH Rapid Response Access Point – Call/Text 1-833-710-6477 – If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health and/or substance use crisis, you can call and speak to trained and caring clinical staff. You’ll be served by compassionate providers from mental health centers in your community who can help you access vital resources in an emergency.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals. (Chat option is also available at 988lifeline.org).
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
