PLATTSBURGH, New York. (WCAX) – Saturday is International Suicide Survivors Day, with more than 300 events taking place around the world to help people grieve those they have lost to suicide.

The Clinton County Coalition to Prevent Suicide hosted a program on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus to help suicide survivors cope with their grief.

Data from the New York State Health Connector shows that in the North Country, suicide rates are slightly higher than the state average of 9 people per 100,000.

According to National Center of Health statistics, suicide rates in Vermont are more than double those in New York.

Officials say grief over suicide can be especially difficult because it is preventable.

“It’s a shock. This begs the question “Why?” »: Why did this happen? Why didn’t I see anything? What could I have done about it? So all this questioning, which is not healthy for us survivors,” said Bonnie Black of the Clinton County Coalition to Prevent Suicide.

IInternational Day of Survivors of Death by Suicide falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving because the holiday can be a difficult time for survivors.

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