Vessel.Photo: Noam Galai/Getty
Since opening in March 2019, the popular tourist destination on the city’s west side has thrice been the scene of tragedy, most recently on Monday, when 21-year-old Franklin Washington was found unconscious and unresponsive at the site, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.
Washington, of San Antonio, had “injuries consistent with a fall from an elevated height,” and an investigation into his death remains ongoing, the spokesperson said.
His death followed that of a 24-year-old Brooklyn woman who jumped from the Vessel on Dec. 21, and the suicide of a19-year-old college studentfrom New Jersey in February.
A spokesperson for Related Companies, the developer of Hudson Yards, toldThe New York Timesthat the closure of the Vessel was temporary, and that the firm was consulting suicide-prevention experts, including psychiatrists, about how to best limit the potential for suicides.
The spokesperson, who did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment, added to theNew York Postthat Related had also hired more security workers who are specially trained in spotting and helping people who pose a risk of jumping.
Lowell Kern, chairman of the local community board, told theTimesthat a company representative told him that the Vessel’s closure will be until further notice, and that it will not reopen until preventative steps are presented to the board.
A spokesperson for Hudson Yards told PEOPLEshortly after the initial incidentthat they were “continuously working” on safety.
“We have security and operations staff on Vessel at all times, including at the entrance and on various levels, and are continuously working closely with local emergency response agencies to further institute best practices with the safety of our guests in mind,” the spokesperson said.
Kern told theTimesthis week that he still believes increasing the height of the barrier is the best way to improve safety measures.
“After three suicides, at what point does the artistic vision take a back seat to safety?” he told the outlet.
A timeline for the structure’s reopening remains unclear, and itswebsitesimply says it is “currently closed” as of Wednesday afternoon.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go tosuicidepreventionlifeline.org.
source: people.com
