12 Have Now Jumped To Their Deaths From GWB In 2015

The number of people who have jumped to their deaths from the George Washington Bridge has, once again, reached another unfortunate milestone - and could pass last year’s total.

Twelve people have leaped to their deaths from the bridge this year, with the latest happening Monday when the body of man was found near the George Washington Bridge, according to the Port Authority.

At 2:30 a.m., a man in his late 40s was seen jumping from the north walkway, New York Tower of the bridge. His body was recovered in the outcropping below, according to Joseph Pentangelo, a spokesman for the Port Authority.

The body of a female, meanwhile, was recovered about 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, but it was unclear how she got in the water. The matter is under investigation, Pentangelo said.

The Port Authority says there were 16 suicides in 2013 and 18 in 2014. Records were not kept of the number of suicides before then, according to nj.com.

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Last month, a bicyclist reported seeing the woman jump from the New Jersey side of the George Washington Bridge. Emergency responders discovered her near the Edgewater Dock in New Jersey about an hour later, according to The New York Daily News.

The woman was not carrying identification, but authorities believed her to have been in her 40s, according to the report.

In addition to the 12 bridge deaths, Port Authority police have stopped 26 people from jumping from the George Washington Bridge, according to Cliffview Pilot.

Nine reports of jumpers also proved unfounded, according to the report.

The Port Authority says it plans to install a suicide-prevention fence on the George Washington Bridge by 2024, and also take some interim steps that officials say will help save lives, according to the reports.

The Port Authority said the cost of the project is $35 million to $50 million, and involves a “delicate balancing” act of engineering to insure that the structure is strong, according to the reports.

The Port Authority said steps taken last year to prevent bridge jumpers, including walking patrols, have proven effective, demonstrated by the 74 successful interventions in suicide attempts in 2014, according to the reports.