[ad_1]
A popular New York City tourist attraction could shut down for good after a 14-year-old boy rushed to death on Thursday, all under the seemingly watch of his loved ones.
Police said the teenager jumped from the eighth floor of the ship’s sculpture in New York’s Hudson Yards shortly before 1 p.m. The victim, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene, New York police said Daily News.
Stephen Ross, the billionaire behind Hudson Yards, has said the development’s renowned art installation could shut down for good after the latest suicide.
“We thought we had done everything that could really prevent this,” Ross told The Daily Beast. “It’s hard to really imagine how something like this could happen. But you know, I feel bad for the family.
The teenager is the fourth person to commit suicide in the structure since it opened with great fanfare in March 2019.
In less than a year, a 19-year-old man from New Jersey dove from the top of the structure in front of a crowd of tourists. Two other suicides quickly followed, one in late 2020 and another in January 2021.
The structure was therefore temporarily closed before reopening in the spring with several new rules in place intended to prevent further suicide. In addition to additional security personnel, companies linked to the developers of Hudson Yards have touted “improved guest engagement and screening procedures to detect high-risk behavior” among visitors.
Visitors were also required to come in groups of at least two, a move which the related companies said “significantly improves the safety of the experience.”
Ross said the teenager was visiting four other family members.
“A family of five doesn’t fit any profile,” he said.
Lone people were not allowed to go up, Ross noted, and staff were placed on multiple levels to look for people showing signs of distress.
“We are heartbroken by this tragedy and our hearts go out to the family of the young man who lost his life,” spokeswoman Kimberly Winston said. “We are conducting a full investigation. “
Ross says the facility will be temporarily closed while his team plans to reopen it in the long term.
“I want to see all the possibilities we can do. I mean, we thought we had it all covered.
If you or a loved one is struggling with thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or contact the Crisis Text Line by calling TALK on 741741.
–Cheyenne Ubiera contributed reporting
[ad_2]
Source link