Vessel Closes At Hudson Yards After Boy, 14, Jumps To His Death

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Developers are reportedly considering closing the Vessel permanently following Thursday's death of a 14-year-old boy who jumped from the Hudson Yards attraction, the fourth suicide since it opened.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was pronounced dead around 1 p.m. after jumping from the climbable structure near West 33rd Street.

Stephen Ross, the billionaire developer behind Hudson Yards, told the Daily Beast on Thursday that the Vessel would remain closed as his team decides whether it should reopen. The 150-foot-tall, honeycomb-like attraction had reopened in May after being shut down in January following its third suicide.

Neighbors, who had long pushed for better prevention measures, harshly criticized the steps taken by owners Related Companies, which included a ban on solo visitors, a new advance ticketing requirement and a tripled security staff.

Community Board 4 has repeatedly called on Related to simply raise railings at the Vessel, saying no other step would adequately prevent people from leaping over the chest-high barriers.

"This is just Related being Related and doing nothing to address the core problem, which is a major public safety hazard," board member Jeffrey LeFrancois said shortly before the May reopening.

Board chair Lowell Kern said in May that a Related executive told him the company had looked at the possibility of raising barriers, but found it would create "all sorts of technical problems that they were not prepared to address.

"They're taking a risk here," he said. "Because if what they're doing isn't enough, it will mean that a fourth person has lost their life."

On Thursday, Kern told Patch that the latest tragedy was "inevitable."

"If Related will not raise the height of the barriers they should close the vessel permanently," he said.

Kimberly Winston, a spokesperson for Hudson Yards, said: "We are heartbroken by this tragedy and our thoughts are with the family of the young person who lost their life."

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255. Its website offers services including a live chat.

Previous coverage:

• Neighbors Blast Vessel's Reopening At Hudson Yards After Suicides
• Midtown Neighbors Had Warned Hudson Yards Of Suicides At Vessel