Suicide at Riviera Liquidation sale

I was there this morning when a woman jumped off one of the balconies during the Riviera sale. I had just been up there and could have passed her in the hallways. I saw the body on the ground near the pool. It was just awful. The police were there and had the body covered and they were preventing people from taking photos or going outside. I sat on the stairs outside trying to get my wits gathered before leaving, but never saw an ambulance arrive. Only two police cars, and neither of them had their lights flashing. It was very subdued and creepy/calm.

Oddly, I haven't been able to find coverage in the news except for this article in Review Journal. Nothing that I've seen on the local news sites or Facebook pages. http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/las-vegas/woman-dies-after-jumping-tower-riviera

 

That's horrible. I can't even imagine the anguish this poor woman was dealing with. Prayers to all involved.

 

Sorry you had to go through this. Unfortunately it's an all to common occurrence in Las Vegas. I was at Luxor when someone took their life around 2001 or 2002. Happened while I was sleeping. Jumped from an upper floor. Never made the LVRJ either.

I spent 25 years on my local Fire Department. Those who commit suicide are convinced it's the only way out or see it as a way to end their pain. It almost always creates more pain for their families left behind.

 

I'd discuss the stats about suicide in depth, but it's a bit morbid for this forum. Suffice to say, it's much more common than people think it is. Most simply choose not to do it in such a spectacular way as the case at hand.

Bill

 

When I was there in 2011 they had a suicide where someone jumped at the cosmo.

 

So is this common in Las Vegas but under-reported because of the bad PR? Or is it so common it's not "newsworthy" at this point?

 

No way has suicide in Vegas become so common that the news outlets yawn. It's common in Vegas and ultimately it gets reported. The LVRJ doesn't always report, but the AP and national media outlets take care of getting the story out....

Guy jumps to his death at the Luxor? That's a hot story. Down and out gambler chooses to jump? Death sells.

Nick

 

Poor woman? We've all been there at some point in our lives. It's the delta where helplessness meets perseverance. Some folks don't want to continue on and others have mental illnesses. I feel for the family members, but to those that take the easy way out (outside of mental illness), it's cowardly and wrong.

Nick

 

Worst suicide in Las Vegas? That happened in 1967 at the Orbit Inn on Fremont and 7th Street (Downtown). A guy blew himself up with dynamite - taking out five other people with him.

“We went over there. And all there was, was a big hole. No fire. It just blew it up.”
- Sheriff Lamb

Bill

 

I know up here the papers wont print about accidents that are suicides, a friend of the inlaws killed himself by driving fast into a parked flatbed trailer and they were told the papers wont print the story, whereas other fatal traffic accidents are printed.

 

This is such a depressing thread. We all go to Vegas to enjoy ourselves and have a bit of fun, but there are so many people out there with addictions and mental illnesses who just can't handle themselves at all. I guess that's the real dark side of Vegas.

 

There's 2-3 suicides per day frequently on the strip. Most get no news coverage though. They just quietly get rid of the body and clean up the scene. It's a sad and unknown side of vegas....but if all of them got news coverage, it would be even more prevalent.

 

98.77528231% of statistics are made up on the spot.

Do you really believe what you quoted here? It's not remotely close to 2-3 per day or "frequently", as ambiguous as that term may be.

Nick

 

I would think this too. That's why it's weird when others were saying that they didn't see reports in the press.

 

At least around these parts, all the local news outlets (both TV and print) agree not to cover suicides unless there is something particularly newsworthy about the person or the circumstance. Makes sense to me.

 

Sorry you had to see that and God Bless her family. Mental illness is a real problem and the anguish that those who have it is real.

I did read something in a Vegas book once, can't recall which one, that mentioned the local media will usually not report on suicides or issues that can be kept relatively on the down low. The hotels frown upon it because of bad publicity.

 

It's absolutely true. Talk to a 911 operator in Las Vegas if you don't believe me.

There are some people that end up taking their own lifes here due to the effects of drugs, alcohol, or gambling losses. Others come to Las Vegas specifically to take their lifes here after one final fling..

Many locals are aware of it, but it will never become a mainstream news story.

 

One recent year there were 46 out of towners valley wide. That is not just the strip, but is still less than one a week. Which is no where close to 2-3 a day.

http://www.8newsnow.com/story/27698550/las-vegas-has-highest-suicide-rate-in-nation

 

Out of towners prob wouldn't be as quick to kill themselves(you only bring and have access to so much cash), locals who have destroyed their lives would likely be more common.

 

I am a bit skeptical also. Just based on the size of Las Vegas and the national suicide rate, there should be somewhere between 90 and 120 suicides a year in Las Vegas. It would not surprise me that the vegas rate is higher than the national average, but 2-3 suicides per day is six to nine times the national average! That's a gigantic variance