A teen boy leapt to his death from the Vessel sculpture at Hudson Yards on Thursday, the fourth suicide from the installation in 18 months and the first since developers closed it earlier this year to take anti-suicide measures.
The NYPD confirmed the 14-year-old died just before 1 p.m.
The public sculpture on Manhattan's reopened to visitors in May with new rules for access and a ticket fee. It was closed in January after what was then the third suicide in less than a year. All four victims have been between the ages of 14 and 24.
"We are heartbroken by this tragedy and our thoughts are with the family of the young person who lost their life. We are conducting a full investigation. The Vessel is currently closed," Hudson Yards spokeswoman Kimberly Winston said in a statement.
Under the new rules, anyone who wants to climb the stairways and platforms that make up the 150-foot-high sculpture in the shape of an inverted beehive must be in a pair or group; no one is allowed to climb solo, the New York Times previously reported.
The Times has also reported that the Related Companies, the developer, had not raised the height of walkway barriers.
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Lowell Kern, the chairman of the local community board, previously told the Times Related's measures weren't enough.
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“The only way to prevent future tragedies is to raise the height of the barriers,” he said.
The Vessel was created by British designer Thomas Heatherwick and opened in March 2019.
If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
