An Unexpected Calling, A Lifelong Mission
In 2018, Jake Ricker set out to photograph the people who traveled the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CA. Within his first year, he saw someone step out of the crowd and climb over the railing. Jake walked over and talked with him for several minutes while bridge patrol was on the way.
Jake continued to walk the bridge, an anonymous figure in plain clothes. Using his keen observation skills, Jake identified people who were on the Bridge to end their lives. When he found them, he made contact in their critical moment of decision. Sometimes he would strike up a conversation. Other times he would signal bridge patrol. Sometimes, he’d do both. “I did what I’d hope someone else would do for me if they saw me struggling: reach out,” he says.
In his time on the bridge, he’s helped save at least 80 people.
TSBP’s First Program
This on-site bridge support was the first ‘unofficial’ program of The Suicide Bridge Project, a 501c3 Jake formed in 2021. Jake’s years of dedication attracted financial support from friends and family, prompting a website and grassroots fundraising efforts. A board was formed to help further TSBP’s impact. Structural engineers, non-profit experts, and mental health advocates joined, inspired by the potential to leverage Jake’s unique experiences to both reduce bridge suicides nationwide and impact suicide attempts by all methods.
A Technology Boost
In 2022, Missional Marketing, a marketing technology firm based in Phoenix, AZ joined TSBP as a strategic partner. Planning sessions in 2022 identified a clear opportunity to take Jake’s five years of experience and link it to technology, with the goal to fill a digital void in the online search space. That goal: Identify and support those seeking information on suicide as early as possible.
Impact Across Stakeholders
Jake’s unique experiences and unconventional methods bring an important point of view and much-needed skillset to the ecosystem of people and groups who work diligently to save lives. Jake’s time on the Bridge also exposed him to silos between suicide prevention organizations, and gaps in process that suicidal individuals could fall into, leaving them without on-going support. TSBP aims to help bridges and structures fill these gaps with thoughtful, holistic suicide prevention strategies. TSBP also aims to provide a ‘digital bridge’ between a person seeking suicide answers and the information and people who can help them.
