Five Metropolitan Police officers were injured when a Marine Policing Unit boat collided with Westminster Bridge at about 15:40 BST while responding to a report of a person in the water near Battersea. Three officers were thrown into the Thames and rescued by nearby boats; one has been discharged and the others sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Emergency services, including London's Air Ambulance, attended and a cordon was put in place while police investigate.
Five Met Police Officers Injured After Marine Unit Boat Collides With Westminster Bridge
The boat carrying armed police crashed into Westminster Bridge [BBC]
Five Metropolitan Police officers were injured when a Marine Policing Unit boat struck the wall of Westminster Bridge in central London on Tuesday afternoon.
What happened
The Met said the collision occurred at about 15:40 BST while the vessel, carrying armed officers, was responding to a report of a person in the water near Battersea. Three officers were thrown from the boat into the River Thames and were recovered by people on nearby boats. One officer has since been discharged from hospital; the remaining four were described by police as having serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The force confirmed no members of the public were involved or hurt.
Five officers were injured when the police boat struck Westminster Bridge [PA Media]
“As a result of the collision, three officers were thrown from the boat into the water. They were recovered by those on nearby boats,” the Met said in a statement.
Met Commander Nick John thanked river users who assisted the injured officers and praised the swift response of police and other emergency services. He said the quick thinking and professionalism of everyone involved helped prevent further injuries.
Eyewitness accounts and response
Visitors and witnesses described hearing a loud bang and seeing officers in the water. One witness said two boats had been travelling upriver and that the police vessel appeared to be caught in the wake of another craft before striking the bridge wall. Photographs and footage showed casualties being treated on a rigid inflatable boat moored at the riverbank.
A large number of police officers, fire crews and ambulances were at the scene [BBC]
Emergency services including the London Ambulance Service, London's Air Ambulance and the London Fire Brigade deployed stretcher and water-rescue teams to the scene. A cordon was put in place at both ends of Westminster Bridge, forcing buses and coaches to reverse or find alternative routes while officers carried out their response.
The Met has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision. No further details about the officers' conditions have been released beyond the force's description of their injuries.
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