Craziest Thing Just Happened

[NightrainSrt4]

I'm sitting here pissed as I was going through my hard drives running disk checks and such. Long story short I added the wrong drive to the WHS pool and lost some backups of games and such. Mostly, lost my documents folder that had my programs I had written that I hadn't had a chance to backup yet. Gone. Oh well.

THUMP. A huge deep sounding noise rings out and shakes our huge apartments building. Didn't think anything about it as we are on the second floor and construction is going on four buildings just a football field away.

I always park my car in the spot just under our balcony. Always. Every single day. But, it's been in the shop after an accident.

I look out the window and there are ambulances and fire trucks and police cars pulling around the window.

A man jumped off the fifth story balcony and the body is sitting right outside my window.

I have the strangest feeling in my stomach. I feel horrible for his family. No one can seem to find or contact anyone who knows him.

Losing some data suddenly doesn't feel so important anymore, and I feel horrible for worrying about such stupid things in life. Six years ago that could have been me, and I'm glad I had help realizing everything good in life, but feel horrible for this man I never knew.

[Luke122]

Omg...

[NightrainSrt4]

Seriously. I don't even know what to say, what to do. They haven't found anyone that knows him I don't think. There hasn't been anyone crying or anything outside. A majority of the people in my apartment building are from other countries, which could explain that.

Still sad though. Just a weird experience. I can't even describe how I am feeling. Watching stuff like that on tv shows, or whatever, you are so detached. You'd figure it would be similar not knowing the person, but something just feels strange sitting here right now.

The fiance's car is two spots over and has police tape all over it, so not like I am going to walk down and walk beside the body to get into a car and mess up all the tape and stuff to get out and away as to not think about it. I just hope there isn't blood on it, not for being a neat freak, but just for . . .

[blaze15301]

wow that's just crazy. i cant imagine how this feels, or what its like. i mean i knew people who have attempted to kill themselves but they never suicide. i think i would move if some guy jumped from the roof of my building.

[NightrainSrt4]

Everyone is gone now. This is really weird. It's like nothing ever happened.

I don't feel that way, but that is the way it all appears. Quite a strange feeling.

[mDust]

Years ago, a little old man disappeared from my building. He was missing for about 2 months when a couple of joggers found a headless body in the woods in a nearby park. It was still holding a shotgun and a single spent shell.

Sometimes f***** up stuff happens. I personally had no issues with it, but it messed with some of my neighbors for a long time.

[NightrainSrt4]

That's crazy.

I'm not messed up by it or anything, it just was a really weird day. I walked out to the balcony and there's a body lying on the ground ~8 feet below me.

I haven't gone outside to check out the fifth floor. He could have jumped, been pushed, or the railing could have broken. The last two seem doubtful as the police didn't rush in to search for anyone, and there weren't any pieces of railing on the ground to suggest it had broken so I had assumed he jumped.

He was barefoot wearing only shorts, no shirt.

[Mark_Hardware]

Funny though, how things can be put into perspective. Stuff that you get sooo upset about, if you really think about it, most of it doesn't mean sh!t.
I have to put myself in check once in a while. I'll be getting all bent out of shape cause I can't get some computer part, or I'm running low on some supplement, and I remind myself where I came from;
I spent many years living on the streets. Eating out of trashcans, sleeping under bridges, the works. Had sh!t happen to me that I hope none of you ever have to go through. Knew plenty of people that died as a result of living like that. (my first wife is one of those) More scary, a few people that mysteriously disappeared....
Bottom line, every once in a while, when I start getting pissed cause I can't get another hard drive, I think back to when I went 3 days without any food. When I start getting impatient to get something else from the Vitamin Shoppe, I think about when I had to sleep outside in the snow (and in the heat). Perspective, my friends. It's all about perspective.

[BuzzKillington]

Woah dude.

[DaveW]

Suicide is one of the biggest 'killers' of young men in the UK. I think I've mentioned this before, that most people who are suicidal don't really want to kill themselves; they usually just don't see any alternative.

The most likely scenario is that this guy had some problems in his life that he couldn't solve on his own. Maybe if he had someone to talk to, it wouldn't have happened; maybe he had someone to talk to, but was afraid of broaching the subject. The stigma surrounding mental health is a serious issue that we, as members of society, are able to address.


"No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." - John Donne

-Dave

[Mark_Hardware]

You wanna hear something really weird? I just found out that a guy I used to work with just recently jumped to his death.
Kind of shocked me too. Guy was intellegent enough, and he was a decent guy, if wound a bit tight.... just weird man.

[NightrainSrt4]

That is horrible. I'm sorry.

News Story:


A Framingham man died Friday after he either fell or jumped off a fifth-floor balcony at the Edmands House apartments.

Police did not release the man's name, pending notification of his family.

Police spokesman Lt. Ronald Brandolini said it is not known how the man ended up off the balcony onto the ground, but "no foul play is suspected."

Firefighters discovered the man's body in the parking lot at 15 Edmands Road at 12:06 p.m., the lieutenant said.

The firefighters were stationed near the apartment complex because ongoing construction at the end of the road would block their access in the event of an emergency.

Investigators believe the firefighters found the man right after he hit the ground.

"He was dead at the scene," Brandolini said.

No one witnessed what occurred. The man lived alone in a fifth-floor, one-bedroom apartment, Brandolini said.

Police put up a tent to cover the man's body, and state police crime scene technicians were expected to assist with the investigation.
http://a.imageshack.us/img210/8298/apt.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/i/apt.jpg/)

At the tip of the tent, that balcony right there, is my apartment. The one right there, with the plants and whatnot.

It only took them ~2.5 hours to put the tent up. This picture must have been near the end, as there were ambulances and firetrucks everywhere earlier. The white accord tucked behind the police car is my fiance's vehicle. I park every day in the spot the tent is in.

[billygoat333]

That's just insane... maybe he was waiting for you to not park there? creepy thought. Sorry about the trauma, man. I would be... well.. speechless if something like that happened.

[Luthien]

I've never known someone who committed suicide. I have known people who have made attempts, and people who have died from accidents or illness, but no suicides. I can understand how people can feel like there is nothing left for them and death is their only escape. I've had some tough times in my past, but I came out of it.

I did actually find a body once, years ago. It had to be early 2000s, 02 I think. A coworker and I were on a break and went to check out this van that had been parked at the thrift store where we worked. It had been there a few days, and we discovered a man slumped over the steering wheel. I don't think the authorities ever gave a cause of death. We were seriously spooked by the whole thing. I ended up quitting not long after that (both scheduling conflicts with school and the fact I hated being around the place after that).

[DaveW]

Police spokesman Lt. Ronald Brandolini said it is not known how the man ended up off the balcony onto the ground, but "no foul play is suspected."

That is some piss-poor writing there...

-Dave

[Diamon]

Well, suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

That's really creepy though, I've never seen anyone die with my own eyes...yet.

[Airbozo]

That kind of **** smacks you right in the senses.

I used to work at Amoco Production in Denver. One year we had 3 people jump to their deaths. 2 of them landed in the bank drive through next door, the other landed on a car in the parking garage. One of the first 2 actually landed on the hood of a car driven by a young mother with her 2 kids inside. I watched that guy go past the window of the 3rd floor Cafe during break one day. The impact was just out of sight by about 5 feet. Forever shook me up. The other one we saw was preceded by a chair being thrown out the window (they changed the access codes to the roof). We saw the chair go by and jumped up to see if it hit anything as the jumper went by and landed on the pavement right outside the window. I think I was more upset at the lack of consideration of the jumpers for those that loved them or those that had to clean the mess up and even more upset at the guy who landed on the hood of the occupied car.

That was a tough year. The following year I found my self on top of that same roof, selecting MY landing spot (bad times followed by even worse times). I changed that day. Deeply. Funny thing is, I had always thought of suicide as the easy way out, but there I was. Now nothing could make me go through that sort of mindset again. I understand too much the thought process of getting to the jumping point.

Stupicide is never the answer.

It amazes me that the guy in your story actually died. 5 stories is not really that far in the scheme of things. Jumping from that height will usually just break several bones and possibly paralyze you. He must have hit head first to die at the scene. Sorry you had to witness that. It will change you.

[NightrainSrt4]

It was definitely a strange situation to be in. The following night wasn't too great either, as I witnessed an African man freak out in the parking lot walk up to a car and beat the hell out of it with a baseball bat, get in his car, peel out and drive away. Two African ladies speaking another language came out and went back in a few times. He came back and they cornered him with their vehicle, then he sped off. After the third time he circled around the building driving recklessly, and the ladies yelling in another language, I decided it was time to call the police. Talked to the police when they came, etc.

Go into the manager's office today and she seems all frustrated that I called. I showed the police specifically the vehicle that was damaged, of which four cruisers saw, yet the police report they gave the manager said they couldn't find the damaged vehicle. So see seemed all frustrated and pissed at me.

WTF, this was a quiet place, never had any issues, except the African guy below us singing folk songs at the top of his lungs at 3AM randomly during the summers.

If the rent goes up I'm looking at a different place. Found one farther away from the college, but its 50% bigger, has a pool, utilities all included as well, for $150 bucks more a month.

[Locum51]

I had a friend in high school that just not too long ago, hung himself....everyone knew him and i'll bet you he had hundreds of real friends ( we're not talking about facebook). He had problems with his parents and at 18, who hasn't had some sort of scuffle with their parents...anyways...his mom kicked him out and he lived with another friend for a while and after quite a bit of talking to his mom from the other family, he was finally let back in.

He had a fiance and they were together for about 3 years and you could see in his eyes that he'd do anything for her, they were ready to move into this apartment that he was living in.

Well, you know those signs that all the articles say about suicidal people consulting with friends before they committ? He hung out with his girlfriend and then 3 other friends before he hung himself. His mother found him hanging from the apartment garage rafters a few days after he went missing.
It was a major blow to everyone he knew and kinda puts things into perspective; life is so fragile and that all this drama BS that happens everyday is so futile and means nothing in the end.

(I usually like to leave people to rest and not talk about the deceased but just thought i'd share).

[simon275]

When I was like 13 I saw the paramedics putting a body onto a stretcher of a man that had being killed in a climbing accident he must have fallen along way as it was not pretty. Still makes my stomach churn to this day.