Police boat crashes into bridge in central London, sending officers into the Thames<\/p>\n
A police boat responding to a report of a person in the River Thames crashed into Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday, launching officers into the water and injuring five of them, the Metropolitan Police said.<\/p>\n
Paramedics treated the wounded on a black inflatable boat as a police helicopter hovered overhead near the clock tower that houses the bell known as Big Ben.<\/p>\n
Four officers remained in the hospital Friday night with serious injuries but were expected to survive, police said.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said they saw two boats speeding up the river and heard a loud bang when one struck the bridge.<\/p>\n
Jim Bagley, who was visiting from the U.S., said the first boat kicked up a large wake as it went under the bridge and it appeared to push the second boat into the abutment.<\/p>\n
“We didn’t see it happen, but we heard the explosion,” Bagley said. “The next thing we saw was three people in the water, coming down the river.”<\/p>\n
People on other boats helped pull the officers to safety. Police said no civilians were hurt.<\/p>\n
A large crowd gathered to watch as ambulances and fire crews responded but were eventually cleared from the bridge, which was closed to traffic.<\/p>\n