The Green Bay Police Department received a report of a suicidal male on the Leo Frigo Bridge at 1:34 p.m. on Saturday. Passer byes reported the male had jumped. When officers arrived, they located the male on the girders below the bridge. Officers made contact with the male and learned he was very upset and emotional.
Officers saved the male's life by relaying on their crisis negotiation skills and training to negotiate his safety. The male was later transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Suicide is a preventable public health problem. The Brown County Suicide Prevention Coalition provides free training called QPR (Question, Persuade and Refer). For more information about the Coalition or to become a member, contact Tana Koss at 920-436-4360 ext. 1252 or tkoss@familyservicesnew.org.
If you are concerned that a family member or friend may be contemplating suicide, contact the Crisis Center of Family Services at 920-436-8888 for immediate assistance, 24 hours a day.
The Statistics:
• In the last decade, there have been 314 completed suicides in Brown County. In 2013 alone, 35 community members died by suicide, the highest number since 2009.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people in Wisconsin.
• It is the tenth most common cause of death for all age groups in Wisconsin.
• The Wisconsin suicide rate is more than three times greater than the state homicide rate, and eight times greater than the number of deaths related to HIV.
• Nationwide, one person completes suicide every 15.2 minutes and more than 34,500 die every year.
• 90 percent of those who die by suicide have a diagnosable psychiatric disorder at the time of death.
