Help Beachy Head Chaplaincy Patrols

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

Hi, do any of you know for sure whether the Beachy Head Chaplaincy teams patrol 24/7 or not? I have read conflicting reports that they do patrol 24/7 whilst elsewhere I have read that they stop patrolling at midnight. A couple weeks ago I went up around 2000-2100 to jump but was spotted by a pair patrolling and then literally chased and hunted by people on foot and by car until I was found and detained by police. Obviously this is not a sequence that I wish to repeat although I do still wish to jump there if at all possible. I don't live particularly far from the cliffs so waiting till after midnight for peace and quiet is not a problem for me but I can't readily go and scout it out as the police took down my information and number plate on my previous visit.

Thank you for any information you can provide <3

 

[Idkwhattopick]

Hey can I private message you about this please?

 

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

Hey can I private message you about this please?

Sure

 

[valium]

this is a little tangential, but i was curious if anyone knows what would happen if the chaplains were to catch you up there again. i've visited many times (i was actually born and lived most of my life nearby), and on my last visit around a year ago i was caught by the chaplains and taken to hospital, though i did manage to avoid getting sectioned by saying the right things.

i arrived by taxi last time (obviously a mistake, i will catch the bus (lol) next time) so they don't have car details or anything but i am sure they keep some kind of record even if i am not immediately recognizable. i want to ctb at beachy head but my SI is very strong and it's likely to take me a while to work myself up to it. am i sure to be sectioned if i am caught again? anyone have experience with that?

thanks in advance, sorry about your experience with them. for what its worth i do believe they have 24-hour patrols but i read about that some time ago, so things might have changed.

 

[SilentSadness]

I think that chasing someone like a criminal simply for being suicidal is actually insane, I would just avoid that place entirely. Sorry that you had to go through that.

 

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

this is a little tangential, but i was curious if anyone knows what would happen if the chaplains were to catch you up there again. i've visited many times (i was actually born and lived most of my life nearby), and on my last visit around a year ago i was caught by the chaplains and taken to hospital, though i did manage to avoid getting sectioned by saying the right things.

i arrived by taxi last time (obviously a mistake, i will catch the bus (lol) next time) so they don't have car details or anything but i am sure they keep some kind of record even if i am not immediately recognizable. i want to ctb at beachy head but my SI is very strong and it's likely to take me a while to work myself up to it. am i sure to be sectioned if i am caught again? anyone have experience with that?

thanks in advance, sorry about your experience with them. for what its worth i do believe they have 24-hour patrols but i read about that some time ago, so things might have changed.

When they caught me I was detained by the police and basically given the choice between a 136 hospital trip or being driven home in my car by an officer and to have my family informed of what happened for my safekeeping as they said which is what I chose in the end. I might have gotten out of it but they pulled up my police record and I had tried to order SN earlier in the year which was confiscated and lead to a welfare check so they were not willing to believe my story of just going for a nightwalk unfortunately.

I think that chasing someone like a criminal simply for being suicidal is actually insane, I would just avoid that place entirely. Sorry that you had to go through that.

Yeah :/ I actually hurt my leg a bit and ankle because the ground is uneven and I turned my torch off as I ran away in the dark so they wouldn't follow me as easily and I borked my ankle a bit in a foxhole or something.

 

[valium]

When they caught me I was detained by the police and basically given the choice between a 136 hospital trip or being driven home in my car by an officer and to have my family informed of what happened for my safekeeping as they said which is what I chose in the end. I might have gotten out of it but they pulled up my police record and I had tried to order SN earlier in the year which was confiscated and lead to a welfare check so they were not willing to believe my story of just going for a nightwalk unfortunately.

thanks for sharing, i'm sorry that happened to you. i was "detained" by the chaplains but i tried my best to sort of co-operate with them (whatever that means). i think they let their guard down a bit and when i was taken to hospital the staff there didn't much care anyway so i was lucky i suppose. i had my family informed which was pretty terrible but i was glad to avoid sectioning. i have been wanting to visit again recently to make a plan and build myself up again but i'm scared to have any kind of interaction with the chaplains. i will probably bring a camera or something and hopefully all will be okay. i'm pretty certain if i was to be caught again the consequences would be much worse, and i don't want to give my family any kind of idea either.

weirdly enough a few months afterwards i saw one of the chaplains in tesco, that was very strange. i have a feeling that the chaplains are more "alert" in the winter months (might have seen them speak about it on a video when researching before, can't quite remember), and i am sure that they operate pretty late into the night. i was thinking if anything that early morning like 4-5am might be my best bet

 

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

thanks for sharing, i'm sorry that happened to you. i was "detained" by the chaplains but i tried my best to sort of co-operate with them (whatever that means). i think they let their guard down a bit and when i was taken to hospital the staff there didn't much care anyway so i was lucky i suppose. i had my family informed which was pretty terrible but i was glad to avoid sectioning. i have been wanting to visit again recently to make a plan and build myself up again but i'm scared to have any kind of interaction with the chaplains. i will probably bring a camera or something and hopefully all will be okay. i'm pretty certain if i was to be caught again the consequences would be much worse, and i don't want to give my family any kind of idea either.

weirdly enough a few months afterwards i saw one of the chaplains in tesco, that was very strange. i have a feeling that the chaplains are more "alert" in the winter months (might have seen them speak about it on a video when researching before, can't quite remember), and i am sure that they operate pretty late into the night. i was thinking if anything that early morning like 4-5am might be my best bet

Yeah I think early in the morning is best probably. I did find this article https://ontheshoreline.com/beachy-h...In pairs, we cover the,as well as the patrols. from November 2023 which states they operate from 0900-0000 every day so after midnight hopefully we can have peace and quiet. I did also email them from an alt trying to see if they will comment on their times but I haven't heard a response yet but I imagine I should do considering they are a charity but who knows.

 

[SVEN]

Maybe try carrying a dog lead with some doggy poo bags and treats in your pocket. Say you're looking for your dog which got spooked and ran off. Even approach them if you see them, ask if they've seen your pet.

 

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

Where did you order from that resulted it in getting confiscated??

I can't remember tbh I deleted the email linked to it

 

[kaleidoscopicFREN]

In case anyone was wondering about their patrol hours I received this email back from them. Pretty vague honestly.

 

[ge0rge]

how can they tell if someone is there to jump? i've always wondered. is the place not a tourist attraction after all? do people not go there all the time?

 

[valium]

how can they tell if someone is there to jump? i've always wondered. is the place not a tourist attraction after all? do people not go there all the time?

pretty sure people who come alone and meander around the edge are their priority for lookouts. in the daytime (esp in the summer) it is very busy, so less risk then but lots of people around which is not ideal. the people working at the nearby pub and taxi drivers who drop people off there are also on watch and notify the chaplains if they're suspicious. if you look like a "normal tourist" and you aren't there obscenely late they tend to leave you alone i think. i am going back soon to plan things out a bit better and plan on taking a camera and a backpack to look less suspicious

 

[ge0rge]

so the best way forward (lol) would be NOT to hang around the edge and not look strange.

coming alone would be the only problem I couldn't solve. unless there's someone willing to tag along at some point haha

 

[valium]

so the best way forward (lol) would be NOT to hang around the edge and not look strange.

coming alone would be the only problem I couldn't solve. unless there's someone willing to tag along at some point haha

it's difficult, the SI is very hard to overcome, at least for me. i was geared up and ready last time i went but when i approached the edge i had to compose myself and the chaplains took notice of me. fwiw they were nice (although the religious talk was quite offputting for me) but they are quite eager to get you sectioned i'm pretty sure.

i don't think going alone is the end of the world, you just have to try and look as normal as possible. there's lots of variables. i'm pretty sure some people have actually spoken to the chaplains and convinced them to leave them alone, but that was not my experience as i was pretty obviously in distress.

 

[SolitudeMan]

Go during daytime hours and bring someone with you if possible who's willing to jump as well.
Literally pretend to be a tourist and take photos.
or scout the area out and see the gaps in the patrol times.
They can't patrol 24 hours and they wouldn't tell you over email.

 

[imsotired35]

View attachment 154713
In case anyone was wondering about their patrol hours I received this email back from them. Pretty vague honestly.

I doubt they would tell exact times as they don't want to give that info away and have people going to jump while they're not patrolling. I don't understand why they don't patrol from midnight-9am. Surely at night, people are more sad and lonely and depressed and likely to attempt. Especially as it's dark.

 

[TimetoGo!]

If this was my method, jumping off Beachy Head, id put gym gear on and blend in with the hundreds of other joggers and dog walkers that go there everyday. If they approach you, you act shocked they'd even suggest you were there to jump, act insulted.

Or even dress in hiking gear with backpack n boots on showing you are just passing through on a long walk.

You certainly don't run off in the dark away from them…..go in daylight!

 

[HarryCobean]

Well I'm sure there are other cliffs.

 

[Aloneandinpain]

how can they tell if someone is there to jump? i've always wondered. is the place not a tourist attraction after all? do people not go there all the time?

I expect it's possible to learn to spot depressed people after a while and I bet there's certain patterns of behaviour associated with jumpers. I read articles about how those travelling by train were caught out because they purchased one way tickets, so that's a bit obvious.

I'm in constant pain, it's maybe hard to spot sometimes, but people definitely give me funny/concerned looks when I'm struggling. I'm sure I'd be noticed or at least under some suspicion.

Depressed people tend to do less self care, so I'd think they look for people with messy hair, unshaven etc.