Officers have taped off the bridge and cleared the public from it, forcing buses and coaches travelling that way to reverse and find another route
A boy saw armed police “flying into the water” after the boat they were travelling on at an “extremely fast” speed crashed into Westminster Bridge. The Met Police have confirmed a number of armed officers have been rescued from the River Thames, with five injured.
Mother and son Cecilia Lusevic, 56, and Mateo Bilis-Lusevic, 12, said they heard a loud “boom” when the boat crashed into and then watched as the officers were in the water for about 10 minutes before being rescued from the Thames. The visitors from Chile were on a Thames tour boat on the north side of the central London bridge when they saw the incident. They were evacuated from their boat shortly after.
The 12-year-old said: “Two boats were riding extremely fast through the water. Suddenly, I heard a boom. I was looking towards the boat, and I heard a boom. Then three people went flying into the water and one of the people was really hurt.” He said the officers were in the water for about 10 minutes and a life ring was thrown for one of them.
The force said its “priority” is the wellbeing of these officers, who have been treated by paramedics on an inflatable boat moored to the side of the river, before it investigates how the major incident happened.
The crash took place at 3.45pm today (Friday, July 24) with large police cordons still in place at 5.30pm. Officers have cleared members of the public from Westminster Bridge, next to the Houses of Parliament, and buses and coaches travelling on it have been forced to reverse and find another route.
A number of ambulances, fire crews and police vehicles have been seen parked along Embankment with a police helicopter and an air ambulance circling above.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said: “A boat from the Met’s Marine Policing Unit struck Westminster Bridge. A number of officers entered the water but were recovered.
“Additional officers responded alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade. We understand five officers were injured and are receiving treatment. We await an update on the extent of their injuries.
“At this stage, we don’t believe any members of the public were involved or injured. The circumstances of the incident will be thoroughly reviewed, but at this stage our priority is the wellbeing of the officers involved.”
Entrances three and four to Westminster Underground station have been shut, Transport for London has confirmed.
Thames Clippers, which operates Uber Boat, has also said that “some services” may be subject to disruption due to the incident. The RB1 3.26pm Battersea Power Station to Barking Riverside service was cancelled, the company said.
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