Schoolgirl, 15, missing after falling into River Thames from notorious London suicide spot Waterloo Bridge
Hero passer-by rescued by RNLI after diving in to try and save teenager who disappeared under barge
A 15-year-old girl is feared dead after falling from a notorious suicide bridge in the heart of London.
The teenager went over the edge of Waterloo Bridge into the River Thames at 5.30am on Sunday and disappeared under a barge.
A hero passer-by dived in after her but had to be rescued by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
The girl’s distraught mother attended the scene hours later, while friends on Monday threw photos of her and flowers into the water.
A body has yet to be found.
It was announced last week that a team of volunteers is to patrol Waterloo Bridge to try to intercept people contemplating suicide.
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The scheme is thought to be the first 'bridge watch' in the country, and could be extended to other roads across the Thames.
Also on Sunday, the RNLI was scrambled to two naked boozed-up revellers who jumped into the river from Barnes Bridge in the west of the city to celebrate Andy Murray's Wimbledon victory.
Both men were unhurt, but lifeboat helmsman Rob Archibald said the situation could have had a very different ending due to the river’s cold temperature and strong current.
He said: “That river can have deadly currents.
“It is a tidal river, and can move as fast as 5 to 6 knots on a Spring tide when the tide is at its peak.
“Add to that the risk of cold water shock and the fact there are all manner of hidden objects beneath the surface at high tide, and you have a potential recipe for disaster – sadly one we have seen end badly too many times.”
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