en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego%E2%80%93Coronado_Bridge
TIL the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is the 2nd most used bridge for suicide in the US trailing only the Golden Gate Bridge.
Went out twice a week because of calls or twice a week because they figured there'd be someone down there that no one saw jump?
Just to sweep. Since they figured there’d be someone down there, good question, should have clarified in original post. But my thought was, if it’s not common they’d go out maybe once a week or so. So twice a week to me says they expect a fair bit of business.
Sweeping the bottom of a river or inlet once a week is freaking absurd to start with.
Because of currents and the like, it’s pretty possible they don’t find some bodies on initial search and only find them when they either settle or bloat and float back up to the top. It’s very common to not find bodies lost in water for weeks or months because of this. Take the recent case of Riley Strain, he was gone for weeks before he was found several miles downriver.
A dj in SF killed himself… ended up a half skeleton mangled up in a pier… i saw pictures it was distrubung
Good practice to keep their skills fresh. A friend has a dog jump off ledge and some guys has to rappel down and get him. They were pleased to get some practice.
That's the farthest thing from what I do, but if that was my job I'd be thrilled. Like, getting to rappel and hug a dog? Absolutely.
I think they were state emergency service volunteers (this is a country town). Sure, they loved it!
I heard a story that one guy climbed to the underside of the bridge from Barrio Logan and jumped.
My friend used to be a contractor for the morgue. He’d have to go…uh…rescue the remains. He said it was mostly parts, and unrecognizable ones at that. Usually things that were supposed to be inside the body but were on the outside.
For anyone reading this in the US, if you feel like you may be suicidal, are in distress, or experiencing a crisis, please call or text 988.
As someone who has had their life completely destroyed by getting help with suicidal thoughts, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Watching people freely breech confidentiality and tell people things, then having those rumors spread around. No amount of lawsuits can unring that bell. I had a coworker, whom I had told about my situation, overhear two other coworkers talking about intimate details that I found out later had been shared with my employer.
It's impossible to get the psychological help you truly need in America. I can't get therapy because I can't trust that what we say will remain between us. My employer has been trying to fire me ever since they found out, and my union has been fighting it tooth and nail to get me back. I will be 10 weeks without a paycheck on Tuesday. I have permanent damage to my lower back and neck from a car hitting me at work. I have a job I could do, and now I'm stuck in a position where I can't just go out and find a different job, but I am being prevented from doing the one I already had.
This is also ignoring the fact that I was called into work on the 9th to answer a bunch of questions, all of which were HIPAA violations, so now I have to take legal action against that shit.
I am off my antidepressants right now, I have no money for the co-pay to get the refill. This ignores the fact that I dont want to take them when I can't even afford to eat and they give me diarrhea. My cell phone service will also be cut on the 21st, I'm really looking forward to that. I really, really don't want to be put on another 72-hour psych hold either, I never want to go back to the mental hospital.
In any case, some of us don't really have any reason to be here. I have no family, no friends. I will get talked about for a bit at work if I die, about how it's a shame that he was in this situation, blah, blah, blah. Call the work counseling number, blah, blah, blah. Management terrorizes and torments us, we have MOUs prohibiting the behavior, but there's absolutely no way to enforce them. They pay out a sum for the grievance and then go right back to doing it. They didn't lose anything, and all their superiors care about is results.
If you’re having trouble paying for groceries you could try applying for calfresh and get an ebt card (assuming you’re in california. Idk how it is in other states). And applying for medi-cal may also be very helpful for healthcare related stuff
I dont think you understand HIPAA "It is a misconception that the Privacy Rule creates a right for any individual to refuse to disclose any health information (such as chronic conditions or immunization records) if requested by an employer or business. HIPAA Privacy Rule requirements merely place restrictions on disclosure by covered entities and their business associates without the consent of the individual whose records are being requested; they do not place any restrictions upon requesting health information directly from the subject of that information."
Hey friend, I just want to say it really sucks what has been happening to you. Know there are people out there who do care about you, even if we don't know each other. I'd be happy to Venmo you a bit of money to help with food or your phone bill, just DM me. Stay strong ♥️
You’re a good person! I’ve been helping a buddy in a similar situation. The world needs more good people.
I can absolutely understand your frustration with how you’ve been treated, but this is very harmful rhetoric. Privacy breaches in the workplace are rare. It’s possible your colleague who you confided in shared some of this information out of genuine concern for your mental wellbeing.
It’s is much MUCH better to seek help than to avoid it out of concern for privacy. In your case, your employer seems very lacking in compassion. I know you say it’s difficult to seek other work but you will likely benefit from moving to a different job.
Do not let this define you or dictate your life. Put your energy into finding different employment. And I recommend you careful think about how your words might impact others who have been thinking about getting help.
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14d
They didn’t downplay anything… stop overreacting. They said the rhetoric of “it’s impossible, don’t try” isn’t helpful to other people reading who are having similar issues
HIPAA only applies to covered entities, which is basically health care providers and insurance companies, mostly. A private employer is NOT covered, they CAN ask legally , you don’t have to answer, legally.
I was harbor patrol out there in the navy, that sounds about the right frequency. Never thought I’d get desensitized to something like that, but damn it happened a lot.
How deep is it there?
pretty deep. that bay is the home of the Pacific fleet. that's also why the bridge is built comically high - it's so all the battleships n shit can pass underneath.
It isn't that deep. The deepest gets to maybe 40 feet but most of it is around 30
I haaaate going on the bridge and will go to Coronado via silver strand. It's stupidly high and scary - there's even a post-apocalyse novel where people live on the bridge because everywhere else is flooded.
The ships are fondly called "B(F)GT"s by small vessels: Big (Fucking) Grey Things. I learned sailing on that bay and there is a lot of emphasis placed on never being near them.
I heard it was comically high because if it wasn’t some certain length they didn’t qualify for some sort of state funding or something like that.
that sounds like an urban legend tbh. it's def that high so the unladen warships can pass underneath (and it's curved so that they could make it super high without making cars drive up like a 50° slope).
speaking of urban legends, one I heard a lot when I was out there is that route 75 has a fuckton of demolition charges buried beneath it. so that if the bridge is destroyed or if the Pacific fleet needs to GTFO right this second, they blow that little strip of land and they're on their way.
Like 30-40 feet.
About the surface to the bottom.
Approximately
Allegedly
It was a sick ostrich
He keeps poor companies
Bad gas travels fast in a small town
Roughly thereabouts
I dunno. I need some proof it’s yay-deep
First time I went over that bridge was unreal. I was out there when a guy threw his dog (I think a golden retriever). The dog survived.
Baxter!?!?
Who throws a burrito????
it's so filling
O I don’t remember, I vaguely remember the type of dog, but I think he only broke his legs.
I think it’s an Anchorman joke. No worries.
😆 I get it now… that one went right over me
When there’s a potential jumper the traffic on that bridge can be stopped for hours
Sorry to tell you but your buddy is wrong. I live at the base of Coronado bridge and the San diego police are barely consistent with their twice a day patrols down to the bridge where they just do a loop to kick people out of the Anchorage.
They could have just not. It's not like they're obligated to do their jobs or beholden to any sort of standard
That's an awesome looking bridge.
There’s also ferry service, and a bus that runs over the bridge
I think the bus just drives across it like the rest of traffic.
No it runs over the bridge
With what fucking feet?
If you have to ask, you’re streets behind
Well, they only hire drivers named Fred Flintstone.
Crazy California and their high-speed bus schemes. What will they think of next? People in vacuum tubes?
and a bus that runs over the bridge
Must be a pretty big bus if it can run over a bridge.
Though the ferry service is primarily used by tourists at this point.
It’s really expensive and infrequent. They should fix that
Top and bottom of the hour. And free for commuters...
How big is the bus!?
Traffic on it in the morning is awful, though. I think their system to change the number of lanes based on the time of day is neat, though
Is that the bridge packed with explosives, or was someone pulling my leg?
Was stationed on a carrier at North Island for 3 years. I heard the same specific rumor without out any variation that the middle section was rigged to blow and drop to the bottom of the bay.
The highly logical rational is the 32nd Street Naval Base is locked in if the bridge is damaged so it was rigged to be destroyed in a way they can navigate around.
The carriers and subs are on the open-ocean side of the bridge. Just the surface combatants and amphibs are behind the bridge.
And it may not be that it’s ’currently rigged’ rather if they needed it gone, it could be cleared of cars and then quickly rigged.
But... If you sunk a tuna boat just past Ballast Point.... the bay is closed.
Interesting, thank you
False
I find it terrifying to drive over personally but it's pretty cool to pass under on a boat.
A Navy SEAL let teenage me drive a small boat under it in what was probably the second or third coolest field trip I had in high school.
I have travelled under it on a tour boat. That’s a whole other angle that many locals in SD wouldn’t see.
Most of us locals did whale watching trips with school.
Why wouldn't people that live in San Diego ever get to see it from underneath? That doesn't make sense
Most people don't do the touristy things in the place where they live
But at the same time yes they do haha. Plenty of people in San Diego own a boat or know someone with a boat or do some kind of boat tour in their life.
Can confirm. Local. Been under bridge on a boat numerous times.
It’s to die for. (I’m going to Hell.)
I live in San Diego and remember seeing a segment on the local news about a woman who jumped off this bridge with her three year old daughter in her arms. The mother died but miraculously the child survived but has lifelong health problems as a result of the jump. She’s in her thirties now and apparently her whole life she was told by her family that she got the injuries as a result of a car crash and only found out a few years ago what really happened.
Sad
I can sadly understand the family not wanting her to know that she’s permanently injured because of something her mother purposely did to her. The weight of knowing my parent tried to kill me would be crushing. I sympathize with people who feel they can’t go on, but I have zero sympathy for people who take others down with them.
Yes. She was rescued by a boat passing by at the moment.
There's a survivors club for the Golden Gate bridge.
One of the scariest and saddest things I've ever heard, is that several of them said that the moment they jumped, they realized that none of the problems they had were worth dying over. They all said that on the way down they wished they weren't going to die.
It's not worth it folks.
I read a survivor say something like, "when I was falling I realized the only thing in my life I couldn't fix was letting go of that damn bridge".
Stuck with me.
They should put this quote on little signs every 50 ft along the bridge
This happened with my neighbor from the building across the street. She got out through the bathroom window, regretted it, tried to get back in but couldn't, tried to hold on while her family was trying to open the door. She fell. RIP
The weak breeze whispers nothing the water screams sublime. His feet shift, teeter-totter deep breaths, stand back, it’s time.
Toes untouch the overpass soon he’s water-bound. Eyes locked shut but peek to see the view from halfway down.
A little wind, a summer sun a river rich and regal. A flood of fond endorphins brings a calm that knows no equal.
You’re flying now, you see things much more clear than from the ground. It's all okay, or it would be were you not now halfway down.
Thrash to break from gravity what now could slow the drop? All I’d give for toes to touch the safety back at top.
But this is it, the deed is done silence drowns the sound. Before I leaped I should've seen the view from halfway down.
I really should’ve thought about the view from halfway down. I wish I could've known about the view from halfway down—
(From Bojack Horseman)
Didn’t one get saved by a seal or something?
You’re thinking of Kevin Hines, who in 2000 jumped from the GGB and was indeed buoyed by a sea lion until the Coast Guard rescued him. There’s debate seal vs sea lion, vs if anything was there at all and it was just a stress reaction, but he’s been pretty consistent throughout.
He also campaigned for a suicide net around the bridge, which people fought against for the aesthetic. That net was just finished in 2023 and has already reduced suicides.
People were against a net that could save people because of aesthetics? That’s surreal lmao
Likely cost and safety of maintaining it. They recently spent 32 million to add suicide prevention to a bridge in NYC. The NYC subway estimated that it would cost 7+ billion to retrofit 300 train stations with new safety doors and buy all new trains that would be automated to align with those doors and re-wire 100’s of miles of tunnel to the new technology… all to prevent people from jumping in front of trains. But then the question becomes if that 7 billion (if it even exists) could be invested in other areas of the city that would save more lives or better the lives of many others who’s mission isn’t to end theirs. It’s a sad reality when it’s comes to stuff like this. And even with all this money is spent, those people wanting to die will still likely find a way elsewhere. I can see cities wanting to invest that money in trying to prevent the causes that lead someone to feeling they need to end their life.
Welcome to this world I guess…….. 🙁
Thanks for saying this.
Saw someone jump from this bridge about 25 years ago. Almost midnight coming from SD side and the car two cars ahead of us stopped suddenly at the top of the bridge. The driver got out of their car, ran around in front of their car’s headlights, and jumped over the side of the bridge. We stopped at the toll booth (at the base of the bridge on the Coronado side at the time) and reported the jumper. The toll booth operator said the car directly in front of us had reported the jumper also.
I once saw a gal sitting on the railing of Seattle's ship canal bridge, and I looked into its history. It turns out that a person rarely dies from the impact - rather they break lots of bones, can't swim, and drown. It's a bad way to go.
I’ve heard stories of people jumping off of the Montlake Cut bridge and the SR-520 bridge… it’s bad but there’s only so much they can do to prevent jumpers. I do like that I can use a ferry to get to places rather than crossing a bridge though.
It's not high enough for a sure death, I don't think even the Golden Gate bridge is. Don't jump off bridges.
There’s a rest area on highway 97 in Oregon that has a small canyon next to it. I stopped there the other day. There were quite a few signs encouraging folks to reach out and ask for help.
I stood next to one of the ledges and someone had scrawled a letter into the stone.
Stay, Don’t Go
We’re like rallying
Through the half-time show
Do not let this one end
Before you emerge the winner
I have also heard that many do not die on impact. They hit the water and go straight down, getting stuck in the muck at the bottom and drown.
Sucks.. witnessed a jumper yesterday from the Brooklyn bridge
Ay, he survived at least
Did he??
Assuming it’s the same person actually does seem like it, from 22hours ago:
Yes!!! Awesome thanks man, made me feel much better
I’m so sorry. Don’t hesitate to take time to process or tell others what you’re thinking.
I’ve witnessed something similar and was ‘fine’ for a week and a half before it hit me like a sack of bricks.
It's a bit more apparent when you live on the island. The bridge gets closed regularly for jumpers, but they never talk about it on the news.
Yeah. When I was stationed there and leaving work one day the bridge was closed for a jumper and they had to detour everyone to the strand. A normal 25 minute drive took about 3-4 hours.
Yeah got stopped the other day. Had to take the strand around to palm/5 and back up. Happens a lot.
I remember when someone proposed to put up a fence to prevent jumpers. The city rejected the proposal because if someone climbed over and jumped, the city would be liable for failing to install an adequate fence. Instead, they put up a sign with the suicide hotline. The sign should tell them that if they jumped, you have about 5 seconds to enjoy the view or regret your decision.
Weird, they’ve now installed suicide prevention nets along the entire Golden Gate Bridge and nobody has sued. This also means that the San Diego-Coronado bridge is about to be #1.
The suicide nets budget was approved in 2023 and will start in 2027: source: https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/suicide-deterrent-construction-on-coronado-bridge/509-943dec44-7e65-4482-9735-8a96730ae2af
The fence was rejected in the 80s. So 40 years of suicides and no solution implemented yet.
Well hopefully that changes soon.
I think there are a number of liability laws that need to change in this country.
I don’t believe destroying the beauty of the bridge and its views to save people who don’t want to be saved is the most worthwhile effort. I’m not saying they don’t deserve to be saved (they absolutely do), but this seems like a classic case of “this is why we can’t have nice things.”
I guess my fundamental idea here is we don’t need to remove absolutely all risk from things, just allow a merely reasonable amount of risk to ensure a reasonable amount of safety for reasonable people and those who can’t better determine otherwise (young children).
Straight out of the incredibles.
"You ruined my death!"
They re actually going to put up barriers now - not sure on the timing but the funding is there: https://timesofsandiego.com/politics/2023/01/27/caltrans-gets-14-million-to-design-long-awaited-suicide-barrier-on-coronado-bridge/
I've never understood wanting to kill yourself this way. Too much time to think after the actual jump and a pretty awful way to go if you somehow don't die immediately.
I don't wish to be morbid, but I have a personal explanation as to why. Back in high school I was severely depressed. I thought about all the ways in which I would finally end everything. My biggest issue with myself was I felt useless, like a permanent parasite on others. So for my death, I wished for it to be completely, 100% non-impactful on anyone. I didn't want anyone to need to clean up or be inconvenienced in any way. I also didn't want to experience pain. A properly timed bridge jump would take care of everything without witnesses, too. Jumping in with some weights meant no one would ever need to see me floating afterwards. Most people go unconscious, so I either die on impact or drown in my unconsciousness. It's quick, easy, clean. Ironically, I would have used the Coronado Bridge. It's 1 of my favorite views as a long time SD resident.
I obviously never followed through with it. In my apathy I didn't get around to taking care of all the things to make truly sure no one would be negatively affected, like clearing financial debt and pushing away remaining friends so they wouldn't miss me. And I started shedding some toxic life elements and people. Things got better. Life got better. Thankfully I figured some things out on my own so I don't think I'll ever get back to that place again. But a bridge jump makes a lot of sense depending on the reasons you wish to go and what circumstances you wish to go under.
I am glad that you are still here.
I've helped look for the corpse of a bridge jumper.
Absolutely destroyed the surviving family members.
And corpse turns up weeks later eaten by fish and bloated.
To me it always seemed like when I want to get into the pool but it is too cold and walking slowly down the stairs sucks and a lot of the time my brain just won’t let me do it. So I jump in since it forces me to get my head wet and makes feels way less cold than if i had slowly entered the pool. It’s scary to jump but once you do you’re committed. You can’t pussyfoot anymore. I also want to add that it also appealed to me because my loved ones wouldn’t have to find me and no one would have to clean up a mess.
Jumpers off the Golden Gate are gonna plummet because of the anti-suicide feature they installed.
Interesting choice of words
I dont think he sees the gravity of those words
I'm sure the impact will hit them later.
Hopefully they will see it as a bridge to better awareness
I believe it'll sink in
And it will have watered down later
Maybe if it has enough depth
Let's not jump to conclusions here. That would make quite a splash.
I'm just gonna wave this goodbye
Should have already plummeted
Maybe. I just walked across it a couple weeks ago and it seems you could easily clear it.
When I was in the midst of psychosis I planned jumping off of it to end my misery.
I miss San Diego.
Glad you didn’t
A few years ago the fam and I took a sunset cruise in the San Diego bay on my 30th birthday. As we were passing under the bridge, there was suddenly a huge boom and a large splash about 10 feet from the front right edge of the boat, with the splash landing on deck. It honestly sounded like a cannon ball and I initially wondered if one of the navy ships had misfired. Realized it was a jumper when he surfaced a few seconds later, dead on impact.
Made for a very tragic, if memorable birthday. A couple days later, I couldn’t stop thinking about him and looked him up. He jumped because of depression and debts. Poor man.
Used to work on Coronado and boy, a jumper at 4:30 on a Friday will really test your empathy
Local here. They have a few times a year where they close off a few lanes and let runners and cyclists ride over the bridge. That top , middle span is about 200 feet tall. Just riding over it makes me uneasy. I can't imagine lifting yourself over the side and jumping off.
Yes today was one of those days. That’s where I got the idea for this post.
Oh yeah. The run was today right?
Yes the Navy’s bay bridge run (open to the public)
I mean: Coronado is simply lovely looking so I could think of worse places to go…
Bro but the traffic
Maybe now that the Chargers have left they’ll get those numbers down.
Shots fired. The Chargers managed to lose in the superbowl, instead of season games once in the nineties. 😂
The San Diego fans are lucky the shame of their 2022 WC collapse happened after the move to LA.
Fancy that. The two biggest bridges next to major population centers are the most used for suicide. To be fair, New York refuses to release statistics on how often the Brooklynn Bridge is uses for that purpose. https://www.reddit.com/r/nyc/comments/1v0tns/suicide_statistics_for_the_brooklyn_bridge/cenpag0/ was informative.
Good info
The Foresthill bridge used to have a lot of jumpers. They had to remodel the entire bridge with anti jump protections. Over 700 feet straight down onto rocks or a shallow river with rocks beneath.
Not a fan of bridges and that thing freaked me out when I saw it in person.
It got featured in the movie Triple X
Sadly it’s even nicknamed Suicide Bridge to us from San Diego. Such a beautiful bridge with such a horrible connection to it.
Was stationed on a ship out of Coronado and spent many a day in stopped traffic because of jumpers.
My buddy jumped off that bridge
Sorry to hear that
I lost an old high school friend to this bridge. I still have trouble looking at it.
Also, ron Burgundys dog Baxter got kicked off the Bridge
Hahaha funny but not funny
Weird, i've crossed that bridge several times and it never struck me as a potential "suicide bridge".
Now the Golden Gate on the other hand... (Especially after that traffic just to get to it, and then that fucking insane toll) Shit, you are a miracle if you don't jump off that bridge.
The bad man punted Baxter!
The man on the bridge! I hit him with a burrito!
I remember being a kid in the 80s and a friend of my mom giving me a motorcycle ride across the bridge and back. He stopped on the Coronado side "because he had to make a call". On the way back, emergency response was on the other side of the bridge.
Mom's friend had noticed someone in the side of the bridge, and emergency response had talked them down and was putting them into an ambulance. Their response time was so fast they must have had a team just waiting to go.
Interesting. I lived a few miles from that bridge for 5 years and never heard of anyone jumping. They must not publicize it at all. Also strange because there’s no pedestrian walkway. You drive right next to the railing so it would actually be hard to get out there to jump off.
You're absolutely on the money. They barely (if ever) publicize them.
People drive up to the crest, get out and jump. I got stuck on the bridge waiting once, after a jumper, because they had to tow the car to clear traffic.
There are signs on the bridge discouraging jumping and giving the number to a suicide hotline.
That is an awesome last view.
I was on the way to school in Seattle and saw someone jump of the 99 bridge before they installed the fences…never got that image out of my mind
But is there even a walkway?? I didn't think you could walk across it
I really don't think that would stop someone
The Golden Gate suicide deterrent opened in January, 2024.
It took way too long to make this happen, but it finally did.
https://www.goldengate.org/district/district-projects/suicide-deterrent-net/
Not to be morbid, but couldn’t people just then choose to roll off the net and continue to fall?
1978 World Bridge Beauty Contest winner.
Top 2 suicide bridges are in California, huh
People tend to realize they can die for free in a state with a high cost of living.
When I was an EMT we had a guy fly out the back doors of our ambulance and then proceed to jump off the bridge.
NASNI on one side of the bridge, and NB San Diego on the other. The Navy surely doesnt have a mental health crisis that contributes to these numbers.
They have signs on every light post with the hotline and spikes to make it 'harder' to jump.
My MIL offed herself from the bridge on Christmas Eve, government shut her business down during COVID and she was going to lose the house, decided to cash in her life insurance instead...
They found the car parked in the middle of the span.
I like to think she actually caught a ride to Mexico and is living good on the beach somewhere.
Interesting that they're both in California. Wonder if there's a reason for that.
In 1972, three years after the bridge was opened to traffic, the first "suicide" was recorded. It was subsequently reclassified as a murder after an investigation determined that Jewell P. Hutchings, 52, of Cerritos had been forced to jump at gunpoint. Her husband, James Albert Hutchings, was subsequently charged with murder and pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.
Yikes.
This is a weird question, but do they know if the jumper's leap facing the city or the ocean, or if there is a trend to that?
As far as I know, there has never been a jumper off the Golden Gate Bridge who didn't jump facing towards the city, I am grimly curious if that applies there too.
That’s a good question. I guess it depends what side of the bridge they came on which would put them in the specific traffic lane?
A golden spot for teenagers from my school to fool around too.
California leading the nation in literally everything.
I hate this bridge. It scares the fuck out of me and i end up driving so slow.
I was just thinking about people who are anxious in Coronado and have to drive north. Either suck it up for a few minutes or have to drive 45 minutes to go around.
My friends came to visit and wanted to see it so we made the drive. I went over once going to the island/whatever it is by the naval base, and then I couldn’t muster up the courage so we went all the way around.
At least it was a beautiful drive lol
I lived in IB so I always was able to avoid it when I started having anxiety/panic attacks. Hopefully you feel better about it!
I don’t generally have anxiety but I hate driving over the bridge. It’s left lane only for me regardless of which direction I’m going.
Vets?
I’m sure quite a few
I'm sure the massive wealth disparity in San diego has something to do with it.
I’m sure it has to do with having a bridge
anywhere theres a pretty bridge with great views there will be suicides there. ISNT THAT NEAT
You mean to say that mental health problems may have underlying social causes? What are you a communist? /s
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Had a buddy who worked police dispatch out there and they said that the San Diego police dive team went out twice a week to search the bottom. Twice a week. Insane.