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The 14-year-old boy who jumped to his death in front of his horrified family at the ship in Hudson Yards was laughing and running with his sister just before, according to a worker who witnessed the tragedy.
“There were a lot of tourists around. The kid was going up the stairs with his younger sister and having fun, having so much fun, ” a Manhattan tourist attraction security officer told The Post on Friday, a day after a fatal jump.
“A colleague of mine said to them, ‘I know it’s fun and all that, but you are not allowed to run in the ship’ and ‘Stay with your parents’. Somehow when he got to level eight he jumped, ”the guard said of the teenager from upscale Livingston, New Jersey.
“I saw his parents again afterwards,” said the worker. “The lady panicked. She was screaming and crying. The father was speechless. The sister was crying.
The security guard added, “I heard the impact. I saw [the boy] wore a colorful shirt. My heart just fell.
Police sources said the teenager had a history of depression and had previously attempted suicide.
A grieving family friend who was outside the parents’ home on Friday told The Post, “The funeral is tomorrow.”
“He was a very kind, very intelligent child,” said the friend of the boy, whose grandmother was also with the family when he killed himself. ” We take care of it. These things are never easy.
The boy’s death marked the fourth suicide in two years at the modern 16-story monument along the Hudson River in Midtown – and it could now be permanently closed due to all the tragedies.
The structure was closed after the teenager’s death, and site developer Stephen Ross told The Daily Beast on Thursday that he was unsure if he would ever reopen.
“They tried to add more security, but it didn’t help,” said the keeper.
Another security guard noted: “There are ‘ambassadors’ on floors four through eight because [those sections] are bigger and taller.
“Ambassadors make sure people follow the rules, don’t do what they’re not supposed to do. But we respect [visitors’] space, we keep our distance because they are tourists.
“They are there for fun, but we are keeping an eye on them. We make sure that children do not run around.
Chrishawn Jordan, 26, who works as a nearby bicycle mechanic, added: “It’s supposed to be a tourist attraction, but it’s definitely become a death attraction.”
“They definitely need more security, for sure,” he said.
Ross did not respond to requests for comment on Friday, nor did the site’s security management company.
A family of tourists from Alabama were among the crowds who made their way to the striking attraction on Friday hoping to climb it, only to be told it is closed indefinitely.
“We are a little disappointed. We were looking forward to the sight, ”said a man who gave only his first name, Raj, while holding a camera in one hand and surrounded by his wife and three children.
“It’s tragic,” he said of the teenager’s death.
“They could have done a better job on security. They could have raised the balconies. They should consider closing the upper floors with glass because you are only here to see the view, ”he said.
Anyone with suicidal thoughts is encouraged to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 by SMS HOME at 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
Additional reporting by Tina Moore, Reuven Fenton and Kate Sheehy
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