The woman who jumped from the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) on Tuesday has been identified as Patricia Lowton, 59, a mother of four, of Block ‘Y’ 366 Golden Grove, East Bank Demerara.
According to Claude Wilson, Lowton’s son, his mother was “slightly depressed.” Wilson said his mother was seeing a doctor for pain in her knees and on Tuesday she had left the house to conduct a blood test.
Wilson said too that the death of Brian Lowton, his mother’s husband, was possibly still distressing her. Brian Lowton was murdered 23 years ago, while his wife was pregnant. Wilson opined, that the stress of such a memory might’ve been overpowering for his mother.
Patricia Lowton was a housewife and during the day was usually alone at home. Wilson surmised that not having anyone around to listen to her problems might’ve contributed to his mother taking her own life. But he added that his mother’s suicide was not expected by the family.
A neighbour described Lowton as depressed and nervous. The neighbour said Lowton would constantly complain that she was fed up with her life. However, both the neighbour and Wilson described Lowton as friendly and jovial.
A post-mortem examination is to be conducted tomorrow.
Lowton jumped to her death around 3.20 pm on Tuesday, while being approached by DHB security personnel.
DHB General Manager Rawlston Adams said the suicide occurred at Span 11, which is located close to the retractor span on the eastern end of the bridge.
Adams said the security officers did not get close enough to save the woman. He said contact was made with the police immediately after it occurred and ranks subsequently took statements from the persons who witnessed the suicide.
Lowton’s body was pulled out of the Demerara River in the vicinity of the Coast Guard Headquarters at Ruimveldt around 5 pm.
On Christmas Eve day last year Felicia Hussain of Diamond Housing Scheme, who was battling a mental illness, plunged to her death.
Hussain’s sister Gwendolyn Lowden, who identified the body had said that the woman might have suffered a relapse.
She said that Hussain who lived with her mother, was last seen by relatives at 11 am, when she left home.
She jumped off the structure at 1 pm, leaving her handbag and shoes on the bridge.
