False Alarms for Fire Brigade and Chiswick Lifeboat Crew
Members of public call Coastguard after seeing body from filmset on foreshore
Fire engines assemble on Chiswick Mall. Picture: James Rodgers - @jmacrodgers
March 25, 2023
Four fire engines and the Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat were called into action this Wednesday (22 March) after reports were received about a person entering in the water on the Barnes side of the river.
The Fire Brigade assembled at the opposite side on Chiswick Mall near St. Nicholas Church after being called to assist by the Metropolitan Police with crews from Chiswick Heston and Hammersmith at the scene as well as a Fire Brigade rescue boat.
The brigade was called at 6.36am and remained at the scene until just after 8am.
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade said, “Firefighters were called by the Metropolitan Police after a report that a person had been seen entering the River Thames in Barnes this morning. Crews carried out a search of the area but no person was located.”
The police, who were operating on the opposite side of the river, were able to determine that the call was a false alarm. A spokesperson for the Met said, “A member of the public reported that someone may have entered the River Thames at Barnes after items were found on the riverbank. Officers attended and conducted a search. However, the person was subsequently located safe and well – they had not entered the water.”
Later the same morning, the national press has reported that some people reported seeing a dead body by the Thames which turned out to be a dummy being used for filming a scene for the BBC crime drama Silent Witness nearby. Emilia Fox and John Thomson were present on the foreshore that morning to record the fictional discovery of the body.
A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesperson said, “Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat and a Marine Police unit were sent to Hammersmith Bridge at approx. 8.30am today (22 March), following multiple reports from members of the public about a person in the water. On arrival, it was determined there was no one in danger.”
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