Bridge over troubled water

A lot of random things happen in my life, some quite ridiculous and frivolous, but once in a while something profound happens which shakes my very core and makes me question humanity. Last Sunday, on a grey, gloomy Fathers day afternoon I watched a man needlessly die, while everyone else looked on with mild interest, and not much else.

The day had started off normally enough, ok perhaps not normal for me (as there was exercise involved) with a not too unpleasant bike ride around the enormous Stanley park, and then all-you-can-eat Sushi lunch with Harry. With a hint of energy left, Harry talked me into carrying on, on our little biking tour of Downtown Vancouver and we hopped on an aquabus with our bikes to tour around Granville Island, one of Vancouver's hot spots for the Arts and Entertainment. After looking around the giant indoor market and taking a few photos (aka the one above), we sat down to enjoy the view and a few minutes later we heard a loud thud, and turned to the water to see a guy who had obviously jumped from the bridge above, and was now struggling to keep a float.

In the next moments nothing happened, people just looked on until the man disappeared completely. A man in a yellow jacket, who was only a few meters from him did nothing, eventually an Aqua bus went over, but they didn't pull him out, or from the looks of things even give him a flotation device. I am not naive enough to think that the guy didn't receive internal injuries from his fall, but the fact that people didn't even try and help him stay a float, disturbs me greatly. Before you ask, we were too far away, that we would never have made it in time, and there were so many people closer who could've helped. I understand some people don't want to drown themselves, while trying to rescue someone else, but to do nothing and just watch a man die, is just too much for this kiwi girl.

Eventually the emergency services came, but after an hours searching they still hadn't recovered the body and we left. Of course suicides barely ever make it to the news, for fear of copy cats and sensationalizing it, so I was unable to find out anything more about it. I did hear one stander by say the jumper was a Male in his early 30's. Suicide is never an easy topic, and you'd be there for ever if you questioned all the ifs and why's. But have we really progressed to a society that it is ok to ignore someones obvious cry for help. Luckily I've never been in the situation where I've contemplated killing my self, but I hope that if I ever do - someone will be selfless enough to throw me a lifeline.

It was and still is strange to me, about my own lack of reaction. I felt no shock about him committing suicide, or even watching it happen - but the fact no one did anything, did. What has happened to us that we have become so desensitized to these horrific images? People can watch someone die, and carry on sipping their lattes seemingly unbothered. In a strange twist of fate, the song 'Bridge over troubled water' has been plaguing me, perhaps its my imagination, but it seems every where I turn there it is being played.

Welcome to the city kid.