A man jumped into a river from a bridge in Chippenham on Sunday afternoon (15 May).
A witness called 999 to report that a distressed male was on the wrong side of the barriers on Gladstone Road – a road bridge over the River Avon – at around 5.30pm.
When police officers arrived at the scene, he jumped into the water – falling around ten metres.
The man was reportedly intoxicated and had taken pills from numerous blister packs before his wet ordeal, in which he miraculously escaped any injuries.
It’s believed he self-rescued from the river but left concerned police officers with muddy boots after they retrieved him from the water’s edge.
The ambulance service was tasked to the scene, but it was decided the man could be taken for a mental health assessment at the Royal United Hospital in Bath by police.
The witness – a teenage boy – told Wiltshire 999s: ” I went past the male going over the bridge on my motorcycle and I noticed him sat on the wrong side of the bridge (water side) drinking alcohol and had a large amount of tablets.
“I then pulled over into the car park then contacted 999 to which then three police cars came.
“One officer climbed over the barrier with the male then the male jumped off the bridge into the water.”
