Suicide At Le Parker Meridien This Morning

[UPDATE BELOW] We're hearing reports that earlier this morning someone jumped to their death, possibly from atop Le Parker Meridien hotel on West 56th Street. There were plenty of unlucky people who stumbled across the aftermath on their morning commutes, one Tweeting, "This Morning I walked past a dead mangled body on 56th in front of the Le Parker Meridian. Someone jumped off the top of the hotel." Another noted that as of 10 a.m. there was still "something under a white sheet in front of the 56th Street entrance... something tells me it's not a pothole." We'll update when more information becomes available.

UPDATE: According to the NY Post, it was a 39-year-old Manhattan man who took his life this morning (just before 8 a.m.) on West 56th Street, jumping from the pool area on the 42nd floor of Le Parker Meridien Hotel. He wasn't a guest there, but gained access by asking employees to view the pool, which is in the hotel's Gravity Fitness Center.

Los Angeles Angels catcher Jeff Mathis told the paper: "I didn't even know what had happened but it's kind of scary to see [the aftermath]." For those who didn't see it, the paper reports back with disturbing details, noting "his body bounced off the curb and landed on West 56th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues." A witness told them, "It was so loud I thought it was the facade of the building, but then I looked down and saw it wasn't debris. There was a face attached to it, and I couldn't believe it."

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By Jen Carlson in News on April 13, 2010 2:14 PM

Comments [rss]

dadoc

Can't snark about the suicide of another, know it all too well. I also caution the hard-hearted, today's commenter may be tomorrow's commentee. But this jumper thing has to stop. Too much chance of peripheral death to the uninvolved, as the guy who tried to do it by leaving the gas on in Stuy Town a few years ago: massive bang, fire and risk to others. Same with the bridge & subway jumpers who endanger responders. While suicide in itself is a selfish act, risking others just sucks. First, reach out and get help. If you can't, find a room and do the hang thing. Skip the amateur overdose, you usually mess it up. And whatever you do, skip the note or net post, it's just annoyiong. No matter how bad things are, don't harm others, and that Powerball ticket in your wallet may just be the one. Pax.

jkf

Gotta love the name of the exercise facility at the hotel - Gravity Fitness Center. I guess gravity took over.

sexisicilian

"There was a face attached to it, and I couldn't believe it." -what the fuck?!

jles

I'm just gonna assume you don't really believe that.

bezerkamnn

I'm ticked off...if you hate your life, put a bag over your head. I knew there'd be some copycats after the empire state jumper...just a matter of time before an innocent bystander gets killed.

ed_Extinct

Sounds like a conspiracy:

Gravity Fitness?

Catcher Jeff Mathis

schadenfreudian mensch

Sorry, I meant he wasn't caught.

schadenfreudian mensch

ummm I don't see the connection with "Catcher" since he was caught at all just the sidewalk helped break his fall.

LaliP

i go to gravity, this morning i arrived at 9, having just changed my appt from 8am!

so glad i didn't witness it, although i saw the body covered by a sheet.

poor guy. that's really sad :(

jles

POOR guy!?!? Come ON! I understand how horrific suicide is, and it's tragic to consider the complete emptiness one must feel before committing it....but, i'm sorry, you're just an a$$hole if you're gonna put others lives in danger when trying to take your own. Same with the empire state building kid. F*CK that move..... go OD on some pills or jump off a bridge. Don't jump off a building in Midtown you prick.

LaliP

well, the parker meridien is a straight vertical facade, there's no ledges and stuff like the empire state. he could see down onto the street to see no one was there.