Was it the same person? Tragedy strikes after third bridge incident this month on a Monday

Another Monday, another emergency. Is it the same person repeatedly failed by the system—or a deeper crisis we’ve yet to face?
Putney Bridge closed in major police incident
Putney Bridge closed in major police incident on 31 March 2025. Pic: Putney.news

Was it the same person?

That’s the question haunting Putney after a person appears to have jumped from a bridge and struck a train near Putney Station yesterday — the third such incident in less than a month.

Each occurred on a Monday, and each involved a person threatening to throw themselves from a bridge.

Yesterday’s incident — on Easter Monday — has caused major disruption and distress. Train services were suspended, Putney Station was closed for several hours, and emergency services cordoned off the area after reports that someone was struck by a train.

Response teams at Putney Train Station yesterday

The side of the bridge over Oxford Road facing the station was kept clear of pedestrians by the police and a train was seen abandoned under the bridge while the police and paramedics attended the scene.

Highly unusual pattern

The unsettling reality is that this marks the third Monday in four weeks that emergency services have been called to a Putney bridge seemingly to respond to a person threatening to jump. And now residents and observers alike are asking — was it the same individual each time?

  • The first known incident occurred on Monday 31 March, when Putney Bridge was shut down during a major emergency response. Police negotiated with a person who appeared ready to jump. After a tense standoff, they were safely detained.
  • Two weeks later, on Monday 14 April, Charlwood Road railway bridge was closed in both directions. Police and emergency responders were again seen on the scene. Reports suggested another person was threatening to jump. The situation was resolved, but official details were limited.
  • Then came yesterday’s apparent tragedy — again on a Monday.

The pattern is difficult to ignore. Same kind of incident. Same day of the week. Same neighbourhood. In each case, someone in clear distress on or near a bridge, threatening to take their own life.

Police closed off Charlwood Road rail bridge last Monday for the same reason

If it was the same person, serious questions must now be asked. What action was taken after the first incident on 31 March? The individual was arrested and presumably assessed — possibly under the Mental Health Act.

Were they released shortly afterwards? Were sufficient safeguards put in place? Were local services notified? Did someone cry for help not once, not twice, but three times — with the final attempt proving fatal? There’s also the possibility that a fourth incident may have occurred on Monday 7 April, unnoticed or unreported.

A wider mental health crisis?

If this was not the same person, the implications are no less serious. It would point to a wider mental health crisis unfolding in our community — one that is driving multiple people to the edge within the same few square miles.

Local residents are shaken. The disruption caused by each incident has been significant — affecting transport, emergency resources, and public anxiety. But at the heart of this story is a human being, or several, in serious and repeated distress.

This sequence of events demands scrutiny — not just of how these cases were handled, but of what support is available for people in crisis in Wandsworth and beyond. If the system failed, the consequences have already proved devastating.

We are continuing to seek updates from the Metropolitan Police, British Transport Police, and local health services. As of publication, no identity or condition has been confirmed for the individual involved in Monday’s incident.


If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Contact Samaritans free on 116 123. You are not alone.

This is a developing story. Putney.news will continue to follow it closely.

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