At long last, something is going to be done to deter suicide attempts on the French King Bridge, which over the years have been costly in a number of ways.
Most important is the incalculable costs of someone taking his or her life in a dark moment, when a deterrent to easily leaping from 140 feet might have made a difference.
There is also the cost and risks to rescuers called out to search for jumpers who for decades have found their way to the bridge with unsettling regularity.
Two recent apparent suicides within a month of each other seem finally to have mobilized the state Department of Transportation to approve construction of a barrier to prevent people from jumping off the scenic bridge between Gill and Erving over the often cold and fast-moving Connecticut River. And the agency is currently testing cameras that will allow local police to monitor people on the bridge. That would help in two ways. It would head off false alarms when a well-meaning motorist triggers a search for a person seen lingering on the span, but who is merely enjoying the view of French King Gorge before wandering off to hike a nearby trail.
Local officials have said that cameras would allow authorities to know whether someone has jumped, whereas now they often search the river for hours at great expense when they only suspect someone has jumped.
Last month, an extensive manhunt was carried out after Plymouth murder suspect Tyler Hagmaier’s abandoned car was found parked near the bridge. It was unclear at the time whether he’d jumped from the bridge or left his car as a decoy to evade police. Authorities this past holiday weekend recovered a body in the Connecticut River that was confimed Wednesday to be Hagmaier. Local law enforcement has said having cameras on the bridge during the incident could have shown them what really happened. Instead, police and emergency responders searched for Hagmaier for days and local residents were advised to stay vigilant and lock their windows.
Both cameras and fencing of some sort will be welcome changes. We were also happy to hear the barrier will be designed in consultation with a working group of officials from Gill, Erving, Montague, the Massachusetts state police and area legislators, who have been meeting since 2014. We feel better knowing that officials with local sensibilities will be guiding the changes to a local scenic landmark, built in 1932. We’re hoping that for the $663,000 budget mentioned by state officials, we can have a bridge that is both scenic and secure.