VIDEO/PHOTOS: Statistics from the U.S. Fire Administration show that approximately 100 firefighters die by suicide each year. While some platforms are censoring the word suicide because of the stigma it carries, families of those who have taken their own lives are left to deal with the aftermath — and some want suicide to be talked about more, not less. Among those is Corey Opper, whose brother was a firefighter, lifeguard and Marine. Opper shared how his brother’s struggle with mental health ultimately led to his suicide. Sitting on a barstool in Ink Factory Brewing, a local bar in Jacksonville Beach, Corey Opper shared a bittersweet memory. “This is actually where we had our last conversation,” Corey said of his brother, Garrett, who died by suicide in 2022. “It’s one of those days that live with you forever,” Corey said. “In the back of my mind, I knew it was probably going to happen someday. There was nothing I could do to stop that. But when it happened…you’re just like, ‘Damn.’”
