CLEVELAND – A man who was named one of Cleveland’s most interesting people fell to his death after apparently posting about a personal struggle on Facebook.
Scott Bickel, 21, of North Royalton, died Wednesday night after falling into the Cuyahoga River near the State Route 82 Bridge in Sagamore Hills. The National Park Service said someone reported seeing the man fall at about 11 p.m.
Crews recovered his body in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park a short time later.
Bickel posted on his Facebook wall Wednesday night about his struggle with having bipolar disorder and said he was committing suicide.
“My body is at the bottom of the Rt. 82 Bridge in the Brecksville/Macedonia area. I MAXED out my energy, intelligence, and love EVERYDAY of my life till it eventually burned out my existence from the horrific pain of my life,” wrote Bickel.
He said he wanted his death to help raise awareness of the disorder.
“Study about BIPOLAR and help people everywhere. Use my life story and passions to INSPIRE AND BETTER THE WORLD!!!” he wrote.
Dozens of friends posted subsequent “rest in peace” messages on his wall.
“R.I.P to a great friend, athlete, piano player, competitive eater, and human being. You will be missed Scott, and you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers,” said one friend.
In 2011, Bickel was named one of Cleveland’s most interesting people by Cleveland Magazine. The article about him said he was a competitive eater. He told the magazine he wanted to be the world’s best competitive eater.
He was also featured in a June 2011 story on NewsChannel5 , in which he was competing in a regional hotdog eating contest in Cleveland.
NewsChannel5 is continuing to follow this story. Keep checking newsnet5.com for more information.
