Superdeterminist
Enlightened
- Apr 5, 2020
- 1,877
Eugene "Gene" Sprague (December 11, 1969 – May 11, 2004) was born in San Francisco, the son of an unmarried woman who did not want to be a mother. When she learned she was pregnant, she decided to raise him and became the most important figure in his life. Sprague suffered from depression during adolescence, and openly shared his suicidal thoughts with friends. However, they did not take him seriously because he always spoke of it in jest. According to Sprague's godmother, he even told his mother he wanted to kill himself.
After his mother died of cancer, Sprague became obsessed with suicide. He made contacts through the Internet and moved to St. Louis, Missouri for a new beginning, but said he planned to jump off a bridge in that city or lie on the railroad tracks to end his life. After these threats, his friends sent him money to take a bus back to California, where he stayed and went on job interviews.
On May 11, 2004, while the film crew was filming, Sprague appeared at the Golden Gate Bridge and walked back and forth over the bridge for ninety-three minutes. Eventually, he climbed the railing, sat for a few seconds, then stood with his back to the water and fell. Sprague then fell with no movement to the water in 4 seconds traveling at 75 mph.
(Information taken from: https://manelew.tumblr(dot)com/post/99322903987/eugene-gene-sprague-december-11-1969-may-11).
Here's footage of his jump at the Golden Gate Bridge:
The footage features in the 2006 documentary film The Bridge, which provides more details about his life. The film can be watched on YouTube.
A picture of Sprague:
May he rest in peace.
After his mother died of cancer, Sprague became obsessed with suicide. He made contacts through the Internet and moved to St. Louis, Missouri for a new beginning, but said he planned to jump off a bridge in that city or lie on the railroad tracks to end his life. After these threats, his friends sent him money to take a bus back to California, where he stayed and went on job interviews.
On May 11, 2004, while the film crew was filming, Sprague appeared at the Golden Gate Bridge and walked back and forth over the bridge for ninety-three minutes. Eventually, he climbed the railing, sat for a few seconds, then stood with his back to the water and fell. Sprague then fell with no movement to the water in 4 seconds traveling at 75 mph.
(Information taken from: https://manelew.tumblr(dot)com/post/99322903987/eugene-gene-sprague-december-11-1969-may-11).
Here's footage of his jump at the Golden Gate Bridge:
The footage features in the 2006 documentary film The Bridge, which provides more details about his life. The film can be watched on YouTube.
A picture of Sprague:
May he rest in peace.
