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WOMAN JUMPS FROM ROOF OF DOWNTOWN YMCA

The PR company for the YMCA sent out a release about a woman who jumped to her death from the roof of the YMCA on Tuesday (see the release, below). Odd that news organizations haven't mentioned it.

Woman Eludes Facility Staff And Jumps From Roof Of Downtown YMCA

Unidentified Victim Later Succumbs At Hospital

Dallas, Texas (February 21, 2006) – At approximately 7:00 am on the morning of Tuesday, February 21 an unidentified woman with two small dogs entered the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas’ downtown facility under the auspices of visiting a physical therapy clinic located on the building’s fourth floor. Although not a member or employee of the Downtown YMCA, the woman was recognized by the facility’s front desk staff as an existing patient of a clinic, which is not affiliated with the YMCA, and was given access to the clinic.

However, after being allowed to pass through the facility’s check-in point, the woman did not proceed to the clinic. Instead, she used a member-authorized entrance to access a jogging track located on the building’s fourth floor roof. All other avenues to this location have been confirmed as being secured and locked per YMCA regulations. Sometime around 7:45 to 8:00 am a security guard on the 13th floor of a near-by building notified the Downtown YMCA staff that a person was on the fourth floor roof in the company of two small dogs.

A smooth, six and a half-foot-high brick wall completely surrounds the track. The woman scaled this wall and gained access to an off-limits section of the building’s roof. It was at this point that she was sighted by the security guard which dispatched a representative to personally notify the YMCA staff. In response, two YMCA executives immediately went to the track and confirmed that the woman was on the northwest corner of the roof.

At that point, the YMCA staffers accessed the fourth floor roof through another restricted entrance in an effort to reach the woman. Although they called out to the woman, her response was incoherent and unintelligible. She then left her dogs atop a heating unit and climbed out on a three-foot ledge overlooking Ross Street.

At that time, one of the YMCA executives contacted 9-1-1 while the other remained outside attempting to communicate with the woman. The woman jumped and fell approximately three stories onto a paved city street. Police and rescue crews arrived almost immediately and the woman was transported to a local hospital, where she subsequently passed away. In the meantime, YMCA staff retrieved the woman’s two dogs and attended to their needs.

“The primary mission of the YMCA is to help people in need. Our entire organization grieves for this tragic loss and our heart-felt sympathy goes out to the surviving family and loved ones,” said Gordon Echtenkamp, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. “Unfortunately, although all internal safety guidelines and procedures were fully in place, this woman clearly knew what she wanted to do.”

About The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas
Established in 1885, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas is the largest human service organization of its type in Dallas. The YMCA consists of 23 branches, serving seven counties and operating an additional 300 program sites. For more information on joining or donating to the YMCA, visit www.ymcadallas.org

Tim Rogers · February 23, 2006 08:46 AM