The body of a 55-year-old man who jumped from the Channel Island Bridge near Darwin on Friday night has been recovered by police after he was unable to make it back to shore.
According to a Northern Territory Police spokesperson, the man — whose name has been withheld by the ABC — jumped from the bridge “voluntarily” while accompanied by work colleagues sometime after 9pm.
Witnesses said he appeared to be “laughing and active in the water” initially, but he began to drift away despite efforts by his friends to urge him back to shore.
“He was last seen mid-channel, drifting toward Darwin City in strong tidal currents,” the spokesperson said.
Witnesses reportedly watched him for around two minutes before he disappeared from view.
Police initiated a large-scale search and rescue operation on Friday night, assisted by a CareFlight helicopter, the port authority, and NT Emergency Service volunteers. The search resumed Saturday morning.
Around 11:30am, a body matching the man’s description was found in the water and recovered. He was later confirmed deceased.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
