Police boat carrying armed officers crashes into Westminster Bridge injuring five

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Casualties are being treated following an incident involving a police vessel on the River Thames in central London this afternoon. Police have confirmed that a boat carrying armed officers crashed near Westminster Bridge, leading to officers taping off a section overlooking the Houses of Parliament. In total, five officers required medical attention, with a Metropolitan Police statement reading: ‘At around 3.45pm on Friday, July 24, 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. Five officers were injured in a boat crash on the River Thames (Picture: David Lynch/PA Wire) ‘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 well-being of the officers involved.’ 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. Latest London news A large emergency services presence swarmed the scene (Picture: David Lynch/PA Wire) A spokesperson for the Port of London Authority also said: ‘We are aware of an incident involving a police vessel at Westminster Bridge. ‘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 have been shut due to the ‘ongoing incident’, Transport for London confirmed. Thames Clippers, which operates Uber Boat, also said that ‘some services’ may 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. Crowds gathered as traffic was brought to a standstill (Picture: George Lithgow/PA Wire) 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, 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 evacuated from their vessel shortly after. Witnesses described hearing an ‘almighty bang’ (Picture: Reuters) 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. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Man stabbed in front of crowd on central London street Arrow MORE: Britain’s best lidos crowned with ‘dreamy’ London spot taking first place Arrow MORE: Andy Burnham urged to make clubs and pubs ‘cultural assets’ like opera houses News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.