Two people fell from the railings along Marine Parade this evening, within minutes and yards of each other in a “distressing coincidence”, leading to the closure of the seafront.
Police believe the falls are unconnected, and initial indications are that neither the woman nor the man have suffered life threatening injuries.
At 5.30pm a man was seen to stop his car and walk straight to the railings where he fell some 40 feet on to the middle walkway between Marine Parade and Madeira Drive.
The man, who comes from London and is believed to be in his early fifties, sustained head injuries and was taken to nearby Royal Sussex County Hospital to be assessed.
Just before 6pm an 18-year old local woman also fell from Marine Parade, about 25 yards away from the first incident. She plunged some 100 feet on to Madeira Drive, although her fall was broken by the roofs of some buildings.
Police officers and a member of her family had just been walking with her away from the cliff top where she had been in an apparently distressed condition for some 45 minutes. She was taken to the same hospital to be assessed for leg injuries. She was not under arrest.
The woman, police officers and her family member were therefore present at the cliff top when the man arrived and went over the railings.
Inspector David Robinson said; “Our enquiries are at an early stage but it is already clear that the two people have no connection whatsoever with other, and that their falls are a distressing coincidence.”
A formal condition update is awaited from the hospital but initial medical assessments have indicated that the injuries to the man and the woman were not life threatening.
I had just been dropped off and the man in question was writhing about on the pavement with a gash to his head. It was bleeding quite badly and he seemed to be having a psychotic episode. I asked if he was ok but he didn’t reply and slowly gravitated towards the railing. He then mounted it and let go smashing a bench below. His head was badly bleeding but I’m not sure of the outcome.
I was on the bus that stopped. All I saw was a man, he looked like he was trying to get away from a dog who was sniffing around him. The man was saying no, no and backing up to the railings. The dog barked (just barked not aggressively) and the bloke just jumped over the railings. Our bus driver jumped off and ran to look over the railings then got back on the bus and phoned through to the emergency services. Everyone got off our bus and started looking over the railings at the man that jumped. I just got on the bus behind as I was with my young son and didn’t want him to realise what had happened. I am not sure if the fellow was drunk or whatever or from out of town – anyone that was sober or from Brighton wouldn’t have jumped over, dog or not. That is some height, I am glad he is still alive and hope he recovers ok. There was a chap in a silver car – the car was parked in the bus stop and our driver honked him to move forward, the dog may have been his and / or he may have been with the bloke who jumped.
The falls are not connected. Please think of the families and not pre judge as you don’t know the person’s background. Thankfully both survived.