In what officials believe to be a suicide, Faigy Mayer, a former Hasidic Jew and app developer jumped to her death on Monday evening at the 230 Fifth Rooftop Bar in the Flatiron District.
Mayer, 30, was the founder and CEO Appton, a company which describes itself as “a mobile and web solutions startup.”
In her personal life, after feeling disdain from her ultra-Orthodox Brooklyn community, Mayer joined Footsteps, an organization that helps Chasidim transition into secular life.
However, according to the New York Post, those close to her feel as though even after the lifestyle change, Mayer continued to be an “unhappy person.”
It was at 7:30 p.m. during a corporate party at the 20th story bar that Mayer ran toward a row of bushes and jumped over the building’s ledge. Though it is unclear whether Mayer was connected to the party, the Gothamist reports that patrons there continued to enjoy their drinks at the upscale venue, where bottles can cost as much as $300.
“No one told the patrons what was going on,” wrote Cathy Latham, who was present at 230 Fifth during the time of Mayer’s death, to the Gothamist. “They ushered a high paying party out and you could see the cops going through two bags but most of us thought it was drugs. Our server refused to tell us.”
Though she suffered from depression, Mayer’s Facebook page, which features a picture of her in front of a mural, which reads, “Life is Beautiful,” is reminiscent of better times. One friend of Mayer took to the social media site early this morning to comment on the photograph, “Wish you believed it, girl.*hugs*”
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
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