A struggle to prevent suicides at soaring NYC sculpture

NEW YORK (AP) — Officials are evaluating the future of a 150-foot-tall piece of public art in New York City known as the Vessel after a string of suicides.

The honeycomb of platforms and staircases closed last month after a 14-year-old boy became the fourth person to fatally leap from the sculpture since it opened 2 1/2 years ago.

The death reinvigorated a call for its owners to raise the height of the waist-high railings at the side or install other physical barriers.

Tall landmarks in New York City and elsewhere have long had to deal with the reality of having to balance a desire for thrilling aesthetics with a need for suicide prevention measures.