Its OK! he thought. For much of the time since that day 18 years ago, Kevin has devoted himself to stopping suicide. And even if he did, the water is so cold under that bridge that hypothermia sets in after 15 minutes. and lived! On his walk up the pathway, he wept. One of the lives Hines has saved belongs to the husband of Lorena Stephens of Massachusetts. 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Kevin Hines is a storyteller. In September 2000, he wrote a suicide note. New York Times bestselling author, world-renowned interviewer, keynote speaker and host of the podcast Big Questions. Kevin Hines, in Australia to speak at several conferences, was a teenager struggling with mental illness and depression when he jumped off the famous bridge in 2000. They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest, said Sergeant Wondmu Wedaj. [24], Hines's mission, through his Kevin and Margaret Hines Foundation, is to provide mental health education and suicide prevention information through worldwide public speaking engagements, research initiatives. 'I say believe it or dont, thats completely up to you. She thanked him and went on her way. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Finally, a good Samaritan stopped to check on her. 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"I'm now in a back brace and a [using a] cane, at church with my father and the priest I'd known all my life comes out and says 'come and talk to our students on Good Friday'," he said. And even though the voices were still there, hed made a pact with himself. Kevin Hines parents, native San Franciscans Pat and Debbie Hines, adopted him when he was nine months old. The distance from the bridge to the water is the equivalent of a 25-story building. He was conscious the whole way down. That weekend, the voices and hallucinations started and they persisted, telling him, You must die! Apparently, this is a pattern among many people contemplating suicide. 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Now he is a suicide prevention speaker ABC News reported that Hines began hearing voices in his head telling him to die. Marine animals (dolphins, sea lions) and other creatures have helped save humans and other animals from dangerous situations all over the world. The Most Awesome Men's Entertainment Site On The Internet. He obliged. There are no definitive numbers on how many people have died jumping off that bridge. He obliged. Vote 2 2 comments Best Add a Comment beeen_there 2 min. Had someone shown Kevin that he mattered while he was heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge, he never wouldve jumped.If you are thinking about suicide, please speak to a trusted friend or family member, a qualified professional, or call a suicide crisis helpline. He also urges others to be aware of what those around them are going through. A young boy in Ontario, Canada, was camping with his parents and decided to stay on land while they boated. Kevin became one of only a handful of people to have survived the fall from The Golden Gate Bridge who can still walk and run. He shares his compelling story of hope . For years, Hines had bipolar disorder and epilepsy. Kevin Hines is now a global speaker on mental health issues and shared his remarkable story at a suicide prevention conference in New South Wales, Australia. Kevin Hines Dark side of the Golden Gate The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the. It was like God sent him to us at a time when my husband needed it the most.". What no one knew was that Tegretol was also working in the background to suppress what were the dramatic mood swings of bipolar disorder, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The Ripple Effect cites research that estimates that 115 people will be affected by a single suicide. Many viewers emails flooded into ABC and one of them was from a man named Morgan. Hines is one of only 35 people who have survived.) "[I was] in the water desperately trying to stay alive and stay afloat, [and] I guess you would call it a mammal began swimming beneath me and I'm thinking, 'Oh man, a shark is about to devour me'," he said. Thank you for reaching out. He has visited mental hospitals several times since his jump. Thousands have communicated to Hines that his story helped save their lives. shoes to wear with dress pants in winter; baltimore county inspection connection; iranian football players in europe; Nasal spray reduces risk of infection 86% - nearly DOUBLE protection given by shot in arm, 'We asked too much of the audience': Pixar exec admits Lightyear flopped for straying too far from Toy Story, with fans furious over lesbian kiss and axing of conservative star Tim Allen, Pete Buttigieg's 'slow' East Palestine train derailment response is investigated: Republicans accuse him of 'apathy' after taking 20 days to visit one of his 'largest transportation failures', Loved-up T.J. 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I came in, he performed a 14-hour surgery on my back giving me the ability to continue to be able to walk," Mr Hines said. The force attended nearly 50,000 mental health incidents last year. He continued to be tormented, and the hallucinations persisted. Play it now! Many factors contributed to his miraculous survival including a sea lion which kept him afloat until the Coast Guard arrived. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Hines fell about 240 feet in just four seconds. Doctors surgically repaired Hines physical injuries and after four weeks, he entered psychiatric care at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco, the first of seven in-patient stays to deal with depression, paranoia, and hallucinations. If she hadnt stopped and asked, the outcome might have been very different. Thats when he felt a bump beneath him. He survived but was severely injured and trying to stay afloat in the churning, frigid water. Sobbing, he tried walking toward a town. He has reached millions with his story. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. 10 Women Who Gave Creepy Guys A Chance, Describe Their Experiences, A Few Videos Guaranteed To Make You Feel Better About Life. My husband has chronic suicidal thoughts and paranoia just like Kevin. Rodriquez JF. All I wanted to do was reach back to the rail, but it was gone.. John Kevin Hines (born August 30, 1981) is an American suicide prevention speaker who attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. He was also a spokesperson for the movement to erect a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, according to CNN. And he spent more than a decade after he recovered lobbying the city of San Francisco to install a suicide net below the pedestrian walkway to prevent others from dying as he intended in the water below. But how many of you thought, Really? When Hines was nine months old, he was adopted by Pat and Debbie Hines in the San Francisco area. Lately,there seems to be quite a bit of debate as to whether or not a sea lion saved my life, Robert W. Firestone, Ph.D. This book offers a consistently developed set of hypotheses centering around the concept of the, Here you can watch the live recording or view slides from Dr. Lisa Firestones December 6, 2011 Webinar The Critical, All right, so that title is probably a tad misleading. Somehow mid-fall, Kevin Hines was able to turn his body from a headfirst dive into a sitting position. Thats when Kevin catapulted himself over the bridge. And that today is not tomorrow," he said. "Several of them were actively suicidal, because of that we were able to get them help and it became what it is today and that's just travelling all over the place and trying to help one person in an audience.". I wish I said to my father that morning, Am I a burden to you? Because he would have said, No. I wish I said to my dad, Im thinking about suicide, because he would have said, Im not letting you go,' Hines said. "I had fallen into such a depression, that I was in this bit of tunnel vision that led me to believe that I had to die. San Franciscan Kevin Hines, 33, was the keynote speaker at the NSW Police Force biennial conference on improving policing strategies in mental health related cases. He does at least 23 minutes of vigorous exercise each morning, which leads to a better mood. However, this marine animal (whatever it was) just circled beneath me, bumping me up. This year's theme was suicide prevention, intervention and postvention. Now, Hines travels the world to speak about suicide prevention and mental health, telling his story to help others stay alive. Walking down the two steps of that bus felt longer to Kevin than a marathon. 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Since the bridge opened in 1937, an estimated 2,000 people have done the same. But he survived. "When you can find the ability to fight for your wellbeing, you can change your outcome," he says. My father was an emotional wreck and he nearly fell out of his chair. He crashed feet first into the waters below, crushing spinal vertebrae and breaking an ankle. Emotional: Mental health campaigner Kevin Hines told a conference yesterday how he survived a suicide attempt nearly 15 years ago - because a sea lion circled under him and kept him afloat. [7] He co-founded the Kevin and Margaret Hines Foundation (KMHF), a 501(c)(3) organization based in Atlanta, Georgia, that provides funding and education for suicide prevention in the United States and elsewhere. Less than one percent of them survived but Kevin Hines is among them. In 2000, Kevin attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. He was the 26 th of the 39 people who plunged into the frigid water that Fall who survived. It wasnt until 18 months after his ordeal that a priest helped him realize that his story of survival would help many others if he chose to share it. "I was suffering mentally with bipolar disorder, type one psychotic features and I was hearing voices that were telling me I was useless, worthless, not meant for this world and a burden to all who loved me none of that was true but I couldn't see it," he said. He still has violent flashbacks of the green waters rushing toward him. Now he is a suicide prevention speaker. You cant go back! But as darkness crept in, he knew that he would have to sleep on the cold, damp ground. The three lions chased off the men and sat quietly with the girl until the police arrived, then disappeared back into the brush. @KevinHines would be dead right now had a SEA LION not saved his life after he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.Almost 2,000 people have committed suicide by jumping off the second most-used suicide site in the world. The takeaway is: If you see somebody in distress, try to lift yourself to the level of that Sea lion. At age 10, Hines had an epileptic attack, and doctors prescribed him a medication called Tegretol. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. The bus dropped him off at a nearby parking lot. So wonderful that you have shared your story. Liberal: Using Friendship to Bridge the Political Divide, Psychalive - Psychology for Everyday Life, In a Relationship with a Narcissist? Published: 10:57 EST, 3 March 2015 | Updated: 17:01 EST, 3 March 2015. His message today is that for those with suicidal thoughts, there is another option. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Most importantly, when depression, psychosis, paranoia, hallucinations, hopelessness or suicidal thoughts returnand they doHines reaches out to people who comprise a close support network that he calls his "personal protectors.". On that note, Im part of a musical collective called One Earth. his presentations and sites express the truth about his personal experience with having a very severe mental disease. Kevin Hines is a storyteller. When Hines saw the first parts of the net, he wept and said, "This is one of the most special days of my life". These situations are incredibly complex and Kevin & the team are not qualified clinicians. At the age of ten, he was put on Tegretol to help control his epileptic seizures. All of our shop proceeds will be donated to Zero Suicide International. The picture was grotesque, morbid and yet, at the very same time, beautiful. If you see someone in pain, its your duty to walk up and engage and just try to get them to open up to you and try to share what is going on in their mind. On September 24, 2000, 19-year old Kevin Hines attempted to take his own life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. Just then, a woman with blonde, curly hair and sunglasses approached him. In 2016, Mental Health America awarded Kevin their highest honor, The Clifford W. Beers Award for his efforts to improve the lives of and attitudes toward people with mental illnesses. After being taken off the drug at the age of 16, he began experiencing symptoms of bipolar disorder. Hines leaped over a rail on the Golden Gate Bridge in September of 2000 and began a freefall that would reach 75 miles per hour on impact. Breaking through the waters surface seemed like a hallucination all its own. $30.00 100% Combed Ring-Spun Cotton. This is how it all started.". Mr Hines still lives with paranoia, auditory and visual hallucinations, manic highs and depressive lows from bipolar disorder and panic attacks. Why Do Some People Look Totally Different In Pictures Than In Real Life? Kevin attempted to take his life by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. After hed surfaced, he felt a creature nudging his body which he initially thought was a shark trying to eat him, and punched at it. One thing is certain. 100% Proceeds are donated The American Association of Suicidology for Suicide Prevention Research & Youth Programming. You are a burden to those who love you, he explained to the Chronicle. I was nineteen years old and after leaving the Bridge, my firstthought was that I had made a terrible mistake. "If someone had looked at me on that bridge or on that bus and said that to me, I would have begged for help.". For a long time, Kevin didnt know what it was. LuLu squeezed her 150-pound body through the dog door, cutting her stomach as she shoved herself through. Delirious from his ordeal and thinking that the animal must be a dog, he fell asleep. A fall like that is akin to landing on concrete. He is a best selling author, global public speaker, and award winning documentary filmmaker. EXCLUSIVE: Jihadi John's brother was convicted of handling Grisly details emerge of shooting in rural Queensland after Isabel Oakeshott receives 'menacing' message from Matt Hancock, Beaming Harry and Meghan enjoy date night at private members' club, Ken Bruce finishes his 30-year tenure as host of BBC Radio 2, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' KTVU FOX 2 SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - Almost 20 years ago, Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge. At 19, Kevin Hines struggled with mental illness and depression. Today, Kevin is an award-winning mental health activist, best-selling author, and documentarian. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/suicide-survival-golden-gate-sea-lion-nsw-police-conference/6278280. Hines details his story in the new documentary that he produced, Suicide: The Ripple Effect, which opened across the United States in March 2018. He fought to get a barrier constructed under the bridge to deter people from jumping. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights? READ MORE, Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind. Now, he tours the country as a mental health advocate. I dont have the time to supply his full background because its hard to fit a very long story into a two-minute takeaway. Hines says hes not sure what kind of creature it was but firmly believes that hed be dead without it. What You Need to Know About Narcissistic Relationships, The Critical Inner Voice That Causes Depression Webinar Resources, How to Succeed in Life Without Really Trying. Marine animals (dolphins, sea lions) and other creatures have helped save humans and other animals from dangerous situations all over the world. Then, suddenly, he felt hands grab him and hoist him out of the water. Since the bridge opened in 1937, an estimated 2,000 people have done the same. That one person can stop them. Visit www.suicide.org to find a helpline in your country.Listen to the full episode here: https://bit.ly/Kevin-Hines-PodcastFollow Kevin here: https://www.instagram.com/kevinhinesstory/Visit his website here: http://www.kevinhinesstory.com/If you liked this video, you'll love my other interviews. In the film, there are interviews with people directly affected by Hines's suicide attempthis teary father, his sister, and the coast guard officer who had pulled 57 dead people and one live manHinesfrom the waters of San Francisco Bay after jumping. Speaking with KABC-TV, he said he felt instant regret, powerful, overwhelming. Eighteen years ago, on September 25th, a young man named Kevin Hines got on a bus in San Francisco that was headed toward the Golden Gate Bridge. [8] ABC News reported Hines began hearing voices in his head telling him to die. This suicidal person "needs to hear what I needed to hear. Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. "', Landmark: By a stroke of luck, a witness saw Mr Hines jump from the vast bridge and alerted the coastguard, Conference: Mr Hines spoke at the New South Wales Police Force Mental Health Intervention Team conference in Sydney, Australia. Mental-health advocate, author, and speaker Kevin Hines owes his life and career to a sea lion. Beloved American actor Dick Van Dyke revealed to Craig Ferguson that a pod of porpoises saved his life after he fell asleep on his surfboard. Miraculously, he survived the 220 ft jump thanks to a series of contributing factors, which included a sea lion keeping him afloat. "I realized I made the greatest mistake of my life.". Temperatures had dipped below freezing during the night. President Zelensky says he 'plans to meet Xi Jinping' following China's peace proposal, 'How many times does he have to say it for you to believe it?' With medication and professional help he has managed to reduce his symptoms, including the voices in his head which told him to jump on that day 14 and a half years ago. Shortly after, Hines mental health began spiraling. [1] His story gained major media coverage and he has since become a motivational speaker and advocate for suicide prevention. Theyre looking for one person to pay attention. Hines hopes that the film motivates people to take charge of their mental health. Mr Hines said he never intended to tell his story because he was 'embarrassed', but changed his mind after a life-affirming talk to 120 students, many of whom had suicidal thoughts. A sea lion, Hines says, kept pushing him above the water's surface until the Coast Guard rescued him. This year's theme was suicide . On his walk up the pathway, he wept. God please save me.. The instant regret of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge did not result in instant mental health recovery once Hines survived. "Jump now," said the voice in Kevin Hines's head. Doctors who performed Altsmans open-heart surgery told her that she wouldnt have lived another 15 minutes. He is a best-selling author, global public speaker, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. His story was featured in the 2006 film The Bridgeby the film director and producer Eric Steel. Prosecutor ends explosive grilling with PROOF he lied to cops about his alibi the minute they arrived at the murder scene, Chinese-American Democrat Rep. slams 'racist' Republican who questioned her 'loyalty' and 'competence' and suggested she should be banned from viewing classified information, Finally a vaccine to banish Covid for good? People who collect and release these statistics say 1,700. Our latest release is an anti-poaching/animal slaughter anthem entitled Animals. I was going to end the pain.. Wikimedia CommonsThe Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. "I talked to 120 kids and two weeks later I got 120 letters in return and the letters were amazing, I read every one. He eats a brain-healthy diet; does daily lightbox therapy; meditates and uses music therapy. Here are the facts: on September 25th, 2000 due to bipolar disorder and serious psychosis, I jumped off of the Golden Gate Bridge. 'He said: "It haunted me until this day; it was no shark, it was a sea lion and the people above looking down believed it to be keeping you afloat until the coast guard brought a ride behind you. He shares his story of how he personally rose above the statistics and is now living mentally well, as he believes you can too. If even one person asked him if he was okay, he would confess everything and beg them to save his life. Then, he stood on the bridge and sobbed. A film that saves lives. 14 Therapist Reveal Unusually Common Things They Often Hear, That People Are Hesitant To Disclose, Confessions of a Man Who Shot Himself In The Head And Survived, Caveman Circus | Contact | Privacy Policy | DMCA Copyright 2023 StomachPunch Media, LLC. "I think the message is very, very simple: you don't have to die this way.