By: Lyle Mark Bulado
The Vessel, the 150-foot interactive centerpiece at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, has closed indefinitely following a third suicide on Monday.
The centerpiece sculpture at a massive development on Manhattan's west side has been closed to the public, and the developer is looking at suicide prevention efforts after three deaths in the past year. The Vessel, a 150-foot-high sculpture in the shape of an inverted beehive made up of stairways and platforms in the Hudson Yards development that opened in March 2019, has been the site of three suicides, the most recent of which was on Monday.
In February of 2020, a 19-year-old teen from New Jersey visited the Vessel where he jumped to his death. On December 22nd, 2020, a 24-year-old woman from Brooklyn took her life at the Vessel. And on January 11th, a 21-year-old from Texas died after jumping from the Vessel.
A spokesperson of The Vessel at Hudson Yards said that they are continuing to consult with suicide-prevention experts, including psychologists, and say that they added additional security who are trained to identify and, if needed, potentially engage with high-risk persons.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.