Bristol bridge base jumper sought by police after huge search and rescue operation

Thrillseeker’s dive from landmark prompted 90-minute search by land, sea and air

Witnesses called 999 after seeing the man leap from the Clifton Suspension Bridge late on Sunday evening (Getty Images)

A base jumper who sparked a huge police, lifeboat and rescue operation after leaping from the Clifton Suspension Bridge is being sought by officers for wasting the emergency services’ time.

Members of the public rang 999 after they saw a man jump from the world famous bridge outside Bristol on Sunday evening.

Fire and rescue, police, ambulance, coastguard and lifeboat services were all scrambled in response to search the river and gorge below, fearing for the unknown jumper’s safety.

Dozens of personnel was sent to the scene, including drone operators and rope rescue unit to look for the man.

After the initial search teams drew a blank, they called in the coastguard and nearby RNLI crews, worried the man could have been swept along the water.

However, 90 minutes after the search and rescue operation began, CCTV footage was discovered which showed the jumper landing safely underneath his parachute on the pavement beneath the bridge.

It was only then the emergency services realised the man was a base jumper and called off the operation.

Base jumping is an extreme sport where adrenaline junkies leap off large buildings, bridges or cliffs and after a period of freefall parachute back to the ground.

A spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue said: “Crews from Temple, Southmead, Bedminster and Portishead, who operated our drone, attended the scene to support police, ambulance, Hazardous Area Response Team, the RNLI and the coastguard rescue team.

“It was later confirmed there had been a base jumper on the bridge, who had deployed a parachute, and with no known casualties our services were no longer required.”

The local RNLI spokesperson said base jumpers should “think twice” because their hobby placed huge strain on emergency services.

“The alarm had been raised by a concerned member of the public and we’d urge people to think twice about how they take part in such an activity as it can cause a great deal of stress and anxiety for those who witness it, as well as placing a strain on emergency services,” he said.

Avon and Somerset Police are now investigating the incident as a potential criminal offence, a spokesperson for the force said.

“We are very much classifying this as causing a public nuisance, because it caused members of the public alarm or distress by seeing someone jump from the bridge, as well as the fact that multiple agencies were involved in a full-scale search and rescue effort for an hour and a half or more looking for someone who had put themselves at risk,” the spokesperson said.

“A significant amount of multiple emergency services’ time was spent on this operation. We’d urge anyone with information to contact us with the crime reference number 5221162566.”