Bridge jumper sparks massive manhunt in the early hours
EMERGENCY services spent more than two hours searching the water in the early hours this morning after reports of a man jumping off a bridge at Whale Island, Portsmouth.
The coastguard dispatched crews from Portsmouth, Hill Head and the helicopter based at Lee-on-The-Solent, as well as a crew from Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service (Gafirs), to take part in the manhunt.
However, the search was called off at around 3am when police found signs that someone had left the water voluntarily.
A coastguard spokesman said: ‘The police found some wet clothes near a car park and it is believed they had then left the scene.’