Hudson Yards testing safety netting at shuttered 'Vessel' after suicides

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Safety netting tested at Hudson Yards 'Vessel'

It appears some sort of safety netting is being installed under the flights of stairs after several suicides.

HUDSON YARDS, Manhattan (WABC) -- Hudson Yards is testing out new options that would allow the Vessel to reopen to visitors after several suicides off the structure.

It appears some sort of safety netting is being installed under the flights of stairs.

Four people have died by jumping from the sculpture since it opened in 2019.

It has been closed since last summer, when a 14-year-old died by suicide.

"We continue to test and evaluate solutions that would allow us to reopen the staircases so that everyone can fully enjoy the unique experiences Vessel provides," a spokesperson said.

There is no timetable for the reopening.

Access to the ground-level base remains free and open to the public.

Hudson Yards has partnered with "Project Healthy Minds," which is committed to supporting the wellness of young people.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK) - for free confidential emotional support 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can also reach the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or the Crisis Text Line by texting "START" to 741741.

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