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On September 25, 2000, 19-year-oldKevin Hinesapproached the Golden Gate Bridge.
He’d arrived on a bus, determined to end his own life.
Unfortunately, he was not alone in his thoughts.
Photo: appalachianview/Depositphotos
Instant regret, powerful, overwhelming, he remembers feeling.
The thoughts in those four seconds, it was What have I just done?
I don’t want to die.'
Luckily for Hines, he turned around in mid-air and hit the water in a seated position.
While he shattered three vertebrae in the fall, he was still alive.
That’s when something incredible happened.
I realized I’m not trying to stay afloat.
I’m now lying on my back, being kept buoyant by this thing.
Whatever it was, it kept Hines afloat until he was rescued by the Coast Guard.
Photo: appalachianview/Depositphotos
Kevin, I’m so very glad you’re alive, the letter read.
I was standing less than two feet from you when you jumped.
Until this day, no one had told me whether you lived or died.
By the way, it wasn’t a shark.
There was a sea lion and the people above looking down believed it to be keeping you afloat.
He now manages his bipolar disorder with medication and has gone on to get married.
Hines is also one of many who have pushed for a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge.
In 2014, funding was approved for a stainless-steel safety net to be fabricated and installed under the bridge.
Still, it’s a day that can’t come soon enough in Hines' eyes.
When he first saw pieces of the net installed, he was moved to tears.
In 2018, he released a documentary about his life,Suicide: The Ripple Effect.
If you are interested in viewing the film,kindly register onlineas there is limited capacity.
If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, kindly reach out for help.
The lifeline also uses Language Line Solutions to provide translation services in over 250 additional languages.
