On September 25, 2000, a 19-year-old named Kevin Hines leapt from the Golden Gate Bridge, believing the weight of his pain was too much to carry. Yet the very instant his hands left the railing, regret consumed him. “I wanted to live,” he thought, as he plummeted toward the water.

💔 The impact shattered his spine, and in the icy bay below, he struggled desperately to stay afloat. Just as his strength began to fade, something extraordinary happened: a sea lion appeared, circling beneath him, nudging him upward, keeping him from slipping beneath the waves until the Coast Guard reached him.

🌊 Kevin survived — against all odds. That moment, born of despair and rescued by grace, became the turning point of his life.

✨ Today, he has transformed his pain into purpose, becoming one of the world’s most powerful advocates for mental health and suicide prevention. His story carries a timeless truth: even in our darkest hour, hope can rise unexpectedly — and life can begin again.

🕊️ Kevin’s journey reminds us that survival itself can be a miracle, and that sometimes, all it takes is one second, one chance, one helping hand — to choose life. 💙🌉