NSW: Man missing after dramatic river plunge
31 Dec 2008 11:09 PM
SYDNEY, Dec 31 AAP - A search will resume on Thursday for a man who jumped from a bridge into a river north of Sydney during a New Year's Eve drama in which police prevented a woman and two children from also jumping.
The man leapt from Brooklyn Bridge into the Hawkesbury River about 9.45am (AEDT) on Wednesday after police noticed a blue Toyota Camry travelling slowly on the F3 Freeway.
The driver, believed to be aged 40, got out of the car and jumped 20m into the river from the bridge railing, police said.
Two officers quickly grabbed a 39-year-old woman as she also climbed the railing, dragging her back to safety before intercepting a nine-year-old girl and seven-year-old boy as they also climbed the bridge railing.
The woman and children were taken to Hornsby Hospital and were in a stable condition, police said.
"A number of RTA (Road and Traffic Authority) workers came to assist police by removing the vehicle from the bridge as the officers commandeered a boat and initiated a search for the missing man," police said in a statement.
"Police and SES volunteers continued to search the river until dusk, without success."
Superintendent Peter Marcon paid tribute to the officers involved in the bridge incident.
"The officers acted quickly to avert a far more serious situation on the bridge, then were in a boat searching for the missing man only minutes after he jumped," he said.
"The officers involved will be commended for their actions."
The search for the man will resume at 6.30am on Thursday.
Police are appealing for anyone who may have seen the car as it travelled north on the bridge or who have relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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