On this 11th anniversary of 9/11, New York transplants Raymond and Jacqueline Elling are sharing their brother, Kenneth Johannemann's story. Johannemann took his own life in 2008, saying he was very depressed since the attacks.
"The reason I killed myself was 'cause I was getting evicted and can't handle homelessness. I was also very depressed since I was in 9/11," part of Johannemann's suicide note read.
"Hopefully if someone hears his story, even if it just helps one person, they'll talk to someone," Jacqueline Elling said.
The Elling's say Johannemann was in tower two, where he worked for years when the attacks happened.
"There was a big explosion, all of a sudden the elevator blew up smoke, I dragged the guy out his skin was hanging off," Johannemann said in a news interview the day of the attacks.
In the years after the September 11th attacks, Johannemann was proclaimed a hero. He received a letter from President Bush on his act of valor, and did numerous media interviews.
"I think that may have probably contributed to a lot more stress on him than anyone realized," Jacqueline said.
"It could have also been survivors remorse, as he had commented that he had always been on time for work he had just stopped off to get a cup of coffee on one of the other floors," Raymond Elling said.
In August 2008, Kenneth Johannemann died of suicide.
"The headlines of the newspaper in New York will forever be etched in our minds, which read: '9/11 Claims One More'." Raymond said when he commented about a suicide story on our NewsChannel 15 facebook page.
Six people in South Carolina commit suicide every five days,according to the Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center.
During the second week of September, National Suicide Prevention Awareness week, Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center is offering free training.
Coastal Samaritan Counseling Center's trainings are:
7 p.m. Wednesday, First United Methodist Church, 901 N. Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach
11 a.m. Thursday, St. Paul's Waccamaw United Methodist Church, 180 St. Paul's Place, Pawleys Island
3 p.m. Thursday, St. Paul Episcopal Church, 710 Main St., Conway.
