Five police officers were injured after their boat hit Westminster Bridge as they were responding to a report of a “person in the water”, the Metropolitan Police said.
At around 3.40pm on Friday, a boat from the Met’s Marine Policing Unit struck the bridge in central London.
Officers were responding to a report of a person in the water near Battersea, south-west London, when their boat hit the bridge, throwing three of them into the water, according to the Met said.
A number of officers entered the water but were recovered.
They were treated at the scene before going to hospital, where four remain with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
One officer has been discharged from hospital.
Met Police commander Nick John said: “Our thoughts are with all those involved, in particular our officers who were injured and those who responded in challenging circumstances.
“The four officers who remain in hospital have serious but non-life-threatening injuries. We will give them all every support as they recover.
“I must also offer our thanks to those river users who came to the aid of the officers, as well as other police and emergency service colleagues who immediately made their way to the scene to assist.
“The quick-thinking and professionalism of all those involved undoubtedly prevented any further injuries.”
A large number of police officers, fire crews and ambulances were called to the scene – with traffic across the bridge at a standstill and a cordon in place.
Officers cleared members of the public from the bridge. Buses and coaches travelling on it were forced to reverse and find another route.
A couple from the United States, who were nearby when the crash happened, said they heard “an explosion” when the boat struck the bridge, adding it was travelling at “high speed”, seemingly in pursuit of something further up the river.
Jim Bagley, who was visiting the capital from Gloucester, Massachusetts, with his wife told the Press Association: “We were standing in line to get onto the city cruise hop on, hop off tours, and we saw two police boats coming up the river.
“One was an orange boat that went under the bridge and left a great big wave, and then there was a black boat that came up behind it, the police boat.
“It looks to me that he got stuck in the wake of the other boat that had just passed through the bridge and slammed into the wall on the opposite side.
“We didn’t see it happen, but we heard the explosion… the next thing we saw was three people in the water, coming down the river.”
The couple then saw other boats on the river attempt to save those stranded in the water, throwing a cargo net and a life ring into the water.
Mr Bagley said: “There was another boat that came up from the river that had an open transom, and they were able to back into the people in the water and drag them onto the back of the boat.”
He added: “We were wondering why they were under way at high speed to begin with, we don’t know why they were being called upriver.”
A police helicopter and an air ambulance were circling above following the incident.
Entrances three and four to Westminster Underground station were closed shut, Transport for London has confirmed.
An Uber Boat service, operated by Thames Clippers, has been cancelled and others delayed as a result.
The RB1 3.26pm Battersea Power Station to Barking Riverside service was cancelled, the company said.
Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The Independent
