Check out this story!!!!

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030909/APN/309090966&cachetime=5

The Associated Press

A Pennsylvania man died when he fell from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse balcony in an apparent suicide, the National Park Service said.

Adrian Benner, 26, of Leola, Pa., was vacationing at the Outer Banks with his wife when he fell 165 feet to the ground Monday afternoon, the park service said. Benner was pronounced dead at the scene.

One staff member and two visitors on the balcony saw the fall, the park service said.

This is the first suicide at the 208-tall beacon, the tallest brick lighthouse in the world, according to the park service.

The black- and white-striped lighthouse, erected in 1870, was moved about a half-mile southwest of its original coastline location in 1999 to protect the structure from the encroaching Atlantic surf.


The Lightkeeper
Mike

Tragic event - here's another article:

http://newsobserver.com/news/story/2855037p-2634534c.html

Jumping from Cape Hatteras is the same as leaping from the top of a 12-story building.

Now that's very bizarre! There's got to be a story behind the story that we will never find out.

Now will this effect future access to the lantern room area? Will they have to erect some sort of suicide prevention fence?

Bob

A real sad story, for sure. I'm surprised they re-opened the tower the next day given agencies normal reaction to situations like this would be to keep it closed while they debated how to prevent future situations. You can bet we will see cages installed around the cat walks in the near future.

Not tragic, just sad and selfish and stupid...this is one reason why those of us who love lighthouses have such a hard time accessing them...wanna bet his family tries to sue the park? I wouldn't be surprised if visitors are no longer able to climb the stairs in the near future...

We're just speculating as to how this might effect the lighthouse in the future. As of yesterday, I don't think they knew exactly how he had been able to go over the railing. There were reports from the few witnesses that they heard running.

I feel like the NPS is being realistic about this.
Their response has been that suicides are not uncommon at national parks...that people see it as a dramatic end to go off cliffs or canyons...and now, a lighthouse.

See another article in the Virginia Pilot...
http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=59451&ran=243860

If a person is going to commit suicide, it can't be prevented...they will find a way and a place. I'm so sorry that he did it...because of what he did to his family.

But as cold as this sounds...I wish he'd picked the canyon or cliff, instead of a lighthouse.

Judy

There is little that anyone can do to prevent someone who is determined to kill themself. Suicide is often described as a permanent solution to a temporary problem -- that problem being whatever it is that is driving the individual to kill himself or herself.

It's truly unfortunate for many reasons. There are some lantern rooms that are fully enclosed in fencing or railings. Ponce de Leon and Fenwick Island come to mind.

It may be that this will become necessary elsewhere, not necessarily to prevent a suicide but because the family could claim in a lawsuit that not enough was done to make it impossible to do at the lighthouse.

Of course, for the person determined to commit suicide, it simply means they will have to do it elsewhere or in a different manner.

One failure of our society is that mental health care is generally not on a par insurance-wise with physical health care. Many insurance plans will pay tens of thousands of dollars in benefits for physical ailments and injuries, but severly limit payments for mental evaluation and counseling.

I feel great sorrow for this individual's extended family. Those left behind by a suicide carry a permanent burden. It is also unfortunate that for many of us, that the dramatic way and place which he chose to die will create a hard-to-forget scar on Cape Hatteras' glorious memory.

This incident may also restrict the freedom of many of us to enjoy this lighthouse and others if this means higher railings or a cyclone fence enclosure around the lantern rooms -- or even closure of lantern room access.

The really amazing part is most guys are married at least a few years before they think about suicide......


And then they usually think about throwing the wife off instead...


All right, calm down, I'm just kidding

Mike