He Jumped Off The Golden Gate Bridge And It Saved His Life

#1 Meet Kevin Hines.

Out of the thousands of people who have jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, he's part of the less than 1% who survived the mostly deadly jump.

#2 He Jumped Off The Golden Gate Bridge.

The bridge is one of the most frequently used places in the world to die by suicide. Hines estimates that over 2,000 people have jumped to their death since its opening. He hopes that his emotional tale can inspire others to seek help.

#3 Kevin Struggled With Mental Illness His Entire Life.

Born premature and on drugs, Kevin was bounced from foster home to foster home most of his life. Eventually, he landed in the home of Patrick and Debi Hines and was on the mend, until the age of 17, when he began to swirl downward and was diagnosed with mental health issues.

#4 He Was Spiraling Out Of Control And Getting Depressed More Frequently.

Spiraling out of control, depressed and hallucinating, Hines says "I vividly remember writing my suicide note."

#5 He Wrote A Suicide Note Then Took A Bus To The Bridge.

But he did finish his note, left it on the table and rode a bus to the Golden Gate Bridge, got off, and started walking slowly down the walkway of the bridge.

#6 People Walked By Him As If Nothing Was Wrong, Because They Did Not Know.

He said, "People rode by me, drove by me, walked by me, and a woman approached me." She asked him to take her picture and walked away. He felt very alone and invisible to the world.

#7 When He Decided Nobody Cared, He Went To Take His Plunge.

It was at that moment he thought to himself, 'nobody cares'. Now he says "The reality was that, everybody cared, I just couldn't see it."

#8 His Depression Took Over And He Jumped!

He stood for 30 minutes just watching the water from the bridge. He thought about how his life had turned out, and his depression took over. It was at that moment that he jumped. After he jumped, he said he shared thoughts of regret. "In four seconds, I fell 75 miles an hour, 25 stories, and I hit the water. I was in the most physical pain I had ever experienced." After the fall, the Coast Guard retrieved Kevin out of the water and took him to a local hospital.

#9 Is Kevin Alive?

He was treated for broken bones and a stay in a mental health facility, where he underwent aggressive therapy for his depression and other issues. Kevin's near suicide has left a mark on members of his family EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. Hines father told him that every time the phone rings, his first inclination is to ask, "Is Kevin alive?"

#10 He Now Is Giving Speeches On Mental Illness.

Kevin is still being treated for mental illness, but now he has better coping mechanisms. He is working and enjoys those around him, as well as his speaking engagements to locals about the issues with mental illness and suicides.

#11 He Tries To Give Hope To Families Of Those Who Were Not As Lucky As He Was.

He spends most of his time talking with families of those who did jump and die, and explains to them that they did not do it to hurt them, they did it because they felt no other choice. They took their lives because they were struggling with emotional pain.

#12 Kevin Is Using His Story To Spread Awareness On Suicide Prevention.

He says "suicide is the only illness that we blame the victim for. But people die from suicide just as they do from any other disease."