Safety signs to warn against bridge jumping after boy's horror plunge
A NEW safety sign warning people not to jump off Brockenhurst Bridge into the river below will soon be installed, it has been revealed.
The move has been made in the wake of a 10-year-old holidaymaker suffering serious injuries when he plunged into the Lymington River from the bridge on 1st September.
He was airlifted to hospital, required emergency surgery and lost a lot of blood after the incident. The youngster is expected to make a full recovery but this will take some months.
The incident caused scrutiny of the activity at the bridge and the A&T understands more children have been hurt jumping there in 2019.
Responsibility for the bridge rests with Hampshire County Council (HCC), while Forestry England (FE) is responsible for the riverbed.
Because of the growing concerns, FE and HCC held talks about new signage warning against jumping from the bridge – and Brockenhurst parish councillors were told an agreement had now been reached and a sign will be erected as soon as possible.
Parish chairman Cllr Pete Wales told its latest meeting on Tuesday night the design included the words “do not jump off the bridge”.
Welcoming the news, Cllr Michael Harris, praised the swift action: “The sign is pretty clear and the fact we’ve managed to achieve this in the time since our last meeting is fantastic,” he said.
Cllr Wales agreed, adding it was a “step in the right direction”.