Cutting through the police tape.

[icarus]

Today, someone poured gasoline all over his clothes and lit himself on fire. I was late to class and walked through the police tape, not realizing what had happened. A police officer chased me out: "Don't you see the tape?"

The entire square was taped off, an area about the size of a parking lot. A student explained to me that her friend had seen and texted to her.

Students had immediately thrown their coats on the person, trying to put the fire out. (I respect this. A lot.) He'd said nothing before he did, and did nothing to help himself.

Yes, the person was alive when the ambulance arrived. I looked out at the exact center of the empty square. White fire extinguisher foam coated the ground. They'd picked a busy time of day, lunch hour. Minutes before I'd arrived the square had boiled with people.

A massage arrived from the Vice Provost this evening. The person was a former UW employee. No, he didn't make it.

Hats off -- and coats off -- to the UW students who thought fast and tried to save him. I'm sorry you weren't able to.

Comments

[florahart]

Ew. Wow. I'm sort of surprised I managed not to hear about this; usually that would make local talk. Course, I was busy like whoa today, so maybe that's why.

An yeah, good job students; I hope they know they did good, even if it didn't actually work.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It just made the national news (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081031/ap_on_re_us/man_burns_self). No one knows why he did it.

[seticat.livejournal.com]

Caught is as a NWCN [local news network 24/7] news alert moments after it happened. What a thing. :{

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

My first thought was to the Vietnam war protesters, decades ago. But this sounds like a personal message to UW.

[seticat.livejournal.com]

Actually - ditto. That or the Buddhist protesters. It really saddens me that someone felt this was the strongest and clearest way they could send a message. I hope that someone somewhere uncovers the reasons behind this. I would hate to think this personal tragedy might be in vain.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I understand from a couple of people who've gone through rough times as UW employees that the UW can really suck when it comes to how it treats people.

[darklock.livejournal.com]

I think I would have walked through the tape, also. When you see it often, it disappears.

Bravo to the students who sprang into action.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Lots of people were walking through the police tape. It's just that they were walking away from the scene, the direction the police wanted them to go.

Bravo to the students who sprang into action.

One guy even took off his jeans to try to put out the fire.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}}

That is terrible.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'm the one that needs the hugs. I didn't witness it, only talked to people after.

[sherryillk.livejournal.com]

Oh my, my brother called me today to tell me he saw this (he's a UW freshman). It's crazy what peopel would do... Suicides on campus are tough on students and I can't imagine how traumatic it would have been for all those people who saw it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

How's your brother doing?

[sherryillk.livejournal.com]

For him, he seemed more shocked and in disbelief more than anything else. Aside from that, he seems pretty okay, which I'm thankful for. He didn't really talk about it that much though...

[enname.livejournal.com]

Ouch. I am glad that there were people there to try and put him out afterwards, and who had the courage to do so. However, I am also glad that he did not live to have to suffer through the healing of his burns - that I would wish on no one.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's what WG said. I disagreed though. Life is too valuable and rare.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Staying with my aunt, a nurse, I've spent quite some time in a burns unit. Although I would never say don't try to save someone, but if the body is unable to cope with the damage sustained - especially by accelerated fire (you inhale the fluid and burn from the inside) - then perhaps it is for the best.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm told there's no more painful injury.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Having poured boiling water over myself and given my entire leg second degree burns... no, I doubt there is anything more painful, and if there is, I don't want to go near it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

You know, if you had asked me first about pouring boiling water all over yourself, I would have advised against it.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Hell, as I was pouring boiling water all over myself (the pot slipped) I was advising against it! Quite creatively as well. I am just endlessly happy that I had for some reason removed my stockings beforehand - nothing like melted stockings to pick out of a wound.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Oh, I imagine quite floridly.

[enname.livejournal.com]

Roundly and possibly with a very good imitation of an entire navy.

[scarah2.livejournal.com]

That is horrible. I really hope all the student who saw this or helped can get free counseling.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Especially since he didn't make it.