Four officers seriously injured after police boat crashes into Westminster Bridge

Five police officers who were injured in a boat crash in central London were responding to a report of a ‘person in the water’, the Met has said.

A boat carrying armed officers crashed near Westminster Bridge yesterday, leading to a section overlooking the Houses of Parliament being taped off.

In total, five officers required medical attention, with a Metropolitan Police statement reading: ‘At around 3.40pm on Friday, 24 July, a boat from the Met’s marine policing unit struck Westminster Bridge while responding to a report of a person in the water near Battersea.

‘As a result of the collision, three officers were thrown from the boat into the water. They were recovered by those on nearby boats.

‘Additional officers responded alongside the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade.’

The statement explained that five officers were injured and received treatment at the scene before being taken to hospital, with one discharged shortly after.

No members of the public were injured in the incident.

The circumstances of the incident are still being ‘thoroughly reviewed’.

Commander Nick John added: ‘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.’

In the aftermath of the collision, several ambulances, fire crews, and police vehicles were seen parked along Embankment while a helicopter and air ambulance circled overhead.

Traffic was brought to a standstill, and buses and coaches travelling along the cordon were forced to reverse and find another route.

RNLI responders attended to those injured on a black rigid inflatable boat, which was moored to the side of the river.

Meanwhile, crowds gathered and watched the scenes unfold during the Friday rush hour before being cleared from the area.

A spokesperson for the Port of London Authority said initially: ‘We are supporting the response by providing river traffic management assistance where needed and are working closely with the Metropolitan Police, HM Coastguard and partner agencies to manage the situation.’

Entrances three and four to Westminster Underground station were shut due to the ‘ongoing incident’, Transport for London confirmed.

Thames Clippers, which operates Uber Boat, also said that ‘some services’ could be subject to disruption due to the incident.

Recalling what he saw, one eyewitness told The Sun that the police boat was accompanying a lifeboat at around 40 knots while making its way to someone who had fallen into the water.

Having lost control, the vessel smashed into one of the bridge’s arches.

The witness – Daniel Davis, 54, captain of the City Alpha Thames cruise boat – noticed three officers ‘flung’ into the river while two more left in the boat appeared ‘dazed’.

‘As he went underneath the bridge, he’s gone right over to his right side, and the boat hit the right side of the bridge,’ Davis explained.

‘There was an almighty bang – I think one of the tanks popped on the boat.

‘The next thing, there were three casualties in the river – fortunately, their life jackets had deployed, and they floated past Westminster Pier.’

He added that, while conscious, two of the injured officers looked to be ‘in a lot of pain’.

Another two onlookers, a mother and son, Cecilia Lusevic, 56, and Mateo Bilis-Lusevic, 12, were on a Thames tour boat on the north side of the bridge when they saw the crash. They were then evacuated from their vessel.

The child, visiting from Chile, told the Press Association: ‘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.

Additionally, a couple from the United States said they heard ‘an explosion’ when the boat, travelling at ‘high speed’, struck the bridge, while Enno, a 19-year-old from Germany, said ‘it sounded like a car crash from around 10 metres away’.

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