VIDEO: Hunt sparked for person feared to have jumped in River Arun

EMERGENCY services were involved in a large-scale hunt for a person who had reportedly jumped into the River Arun last night (Monday, April 13).
By Tom Cotterill
Published 14th Apr 2015, 11:55 BST
Lifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie MitchellLifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie Mitchell
Lifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie Mitchell

More than a dozen firefighters were supported by police officers, paramedics, the coastguard and Littlehampton’s lifeboat crews in a widespread search of the river between Arundel and Littlehampton.

The incident unfurled shortly before 10pm, with fire crews initially amassing by the A27 bridge over the Arun in Arundel.

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Crews from Littlehampton and Arundel searched under the bridge and along the banks, with a team of lifeboat volunteers using high-powered torches to scan the bridges, pontoons and river banks from Arundel to the river’s mouth, in Littlehampton.

Despite an extensive search, through the misty conditions, emergency services found no-one in the river.

The operation lasted more than two hours, with firefighters being stood down at 11.42pm.

Nick White, lifeboat operations manager at the RNLI in Littlehampton, said: “The call that we had was in response to the fact that someone was thought to have gone in the river at Arundel.

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“We were tasked to search from Littlehampton up to Arundel.

Lifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie MitchellLifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie Mitchell
Lifeboat crews conducting a search of the River Arun last night following reports of a person jumping into the river. PHOTO: Eddie Mitchell

“We do what we always do. We did a thorough search of anything either side of the river and along the river’s natural flow.

“We checked out the bridge supports, Ford Marina and the pontoons but could not locate anyone.”

Mr White said that the RNLI currently remained on standby to resume the search later today, if police issued the call.

Related topics:ArundelEmergency servicesRNLIA27