1 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Suicide by Drowning in Ireland Speaker : John Connolly B.Ed. M.A. The Irish Lifesaving Foundation WWW

2 World Water Safety Conference 2007 National Outrage 1998

3 World Water Safety Conference 2007 X Entry Point

4 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Witness statement ‘ He managed to get hold of the drowning man around the neck and held his head above the water for two or three minutes. He was shouting all the time for someone to help him to save the boy. ’

5 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Body in River

6 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Removal of the young man’s body from the River Liffey

7 World Water Safety Conference 2007 World Health Organisation

8 World Water Safety Conference 2007 WHO Millennium Figures 1,000,000 suicide deaths World rate of 16 : 100,000 One suicide death every 40 seconds Para-suicide rate = 20 times suicide rate

9 World Water Safety Conference 2007 India 100,000 + annually 10 % of all suicide deaths

10 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Suicide in Ireland 1890 – 1971 : suicide rate < 4 : 100, – 1971 : suicide rate < 4 : 100, : suicide decriminalised 1960 – 2000 : 64 to suicides annually 1960 – 2000 : 64 to suicides annually Para-suicide = 11,000 annually Para-suicide = 11,000 annually 18 th in 2004 European Union suicide table 18 th in 2004 European Union suicide table 5 th in 2004 European Union youth table 5 th in 2004 European Union youth table

11 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Australia 3 rd in 1995 WHO youth suicide table 25 % of all male deaths were suicides 25 % of all male deaths were suicides 15 – 24 yrs 17 % of all female deaths were suicides 17 % of all female deaths were suicides

12 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Suicide by Drowning in Ireland 1980 – 1989 : (49%) out of 2065 drownings were suicides 1980 – 1989 : (49%) out of 2065 drownings were suicides Central Statistics Office Central Statistics Office 1993 – 2002 : (54%) 1800 drownings were suicides Irish Water Safety Irish Water Safety The suicide to accidental ratio is estimated at 2 : 1 One - fifth of male suicide deaths One - third of female suicide deaths One - third of female suicide deaths

13 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Causes of Suicide Mental illness Mental illness Alcohol consumption Critical event Critical event

14 World Water Safety Conference 2007 mental illness Post-suicide psychological autopsies 65% - 90% of suicide victims are mentally ill The High Level of Suicide in Irish Society (2006) The High Level of Suicide in Irish Society (2006) 80% of suicides suffer from depression 7% of population suffer from depression 7% of population suffer from depression 25% of population will experience a depressive episode AWARE (2006) 10% of schizophrenics kill themselves 10% - 15% of psychotics kill themselves SCHIZOPHRENIA IRELAND (2006) SCHIZOPHRENIA IRELAND (2006)

15 World Water Safety Conference 2007 ‘ people reach the point of taking their own lives when they feel desperately trapped by their particular circumstances and can see no possibility of escaping their predicament and no likelihood of rescue ’ Dr. Tony Bates Suicide : Ireland’s Story (2006)

16 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Alcohol Alcohol is a depressant BINGE DRINKING 5 or more drinks for men 4 or more drinks for women Continuous drinking for 2 + days ‘ episodic drinking of sufficient alcohol to effect the outcome of intoxication ’ Dr. Justin Brophy

17 World Water Safety Conference 2007 AWARE ‘ If a young man is depressed, goes on a binge drinking session and gets more depressed, he may become disinhibited enough to act suicidally, where he wouldn’t when sober. ’

18 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Critical Incident Breaking up Depression + Critical Event + Alcohol = SUICIDE

19 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Suicide Victims ‘ The majority of suicide victims are ambiguous about taking their own lives and if stopped or rescued in time they are capable of living long productive lives – once they receive professional help. ’ John Connolly (2007)

20 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Common Features of Suicide by Drowning At night between 10pm and 3am Week-end or Monday From a bridge over a river A jump into the water Most likely a male Aged between 15 yrs and 35 yrs Very likely to have been drinking beforehand

21 World Water Safety Conference 2007 The Drowning Process The jump Cold Shock Instinctive Drowning Response Loss of Buoyancy

22 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Police Officers Shout and Signal Reach and Throw Resisting being rescued Boats

23 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Training Lifesavers X

24 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Rescue Advice Don’t throw away buoyant aids Have an exit plan Don’t dive into the water Swim with a buoyant aid Stand off and reassess

25 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Foyle Search and Rescue

26 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Why ?

27 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Golden Gate Bridge ‘ I can still see my hands coming off the railings. I instantly realised that everything in my life that I thought was unfixable was totally fixable – except for my having just jumped.’ Ken Baldwin Ken Baldwin

28 World Water Safety Conference 2007 Thank You John Connolly

29 World Water Safety Conference 2007

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