A police boat carrying armed officers collided near Westminster Bridge in central London, resulting in five officers being injured, with four in serious condition and some falling into the River Thames.
Emergency services swiftly responded to the incident in central London, with the RNLI seen providing aid to casualties on a boat at the pier. A significant presence of police officers, fire crews, and ambulances converged at the scene, causing traffic on the bridge to halt and impacting Underground services.
Metropolitan Police Commander Nick John expressed concern for those involved, especially the injured officers and responders facing challenging conditions. He reported that the hospitalized officers had serious but non-life-threatening injuries and assured full support for their recovery.
The collision on the bridge occurred as the police boat, owned by the Metropolitan Police, was en route to an earlier report of a person in the water. Three officers were thrown into the river due to the impact before being rescued by nearby boaters.
While five officers sustained injuries and received on-site treatment before being transported to the hospital, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that no members of the public were harmed during the incident. The situation prompted the closure of Westminster Bridge, causing disruptions to transport services in the area.
Witnesses described the collision as sounding like a “car crash,” with multiple emergency services mobilized to the scene. The London Fire Brigade also responded, deploying a fire boat and water rescue units to address the situation.
Westminster Bridge, a popular tourist spot in London, remains closed with police cordons in place as authorities investigate the circumstances of the crash. The incident has led to service disruptions, including the cancellation of Thames Clippers’ Uber Boat and delays in the area.
The Port of London Authority, in collaboration with other agencies, is actively managing the situation and offering support following the police boat collision at Westminster Bridge.