Residents near the River Thames reported that an 11-year-old girl had gone missing after she was seen paddling in the water on a day off from school. The incident occurred close to Barge House Causeway, near London City Airport, with the Metropolitan Police receiving reports around 13:15 BST on Monday. A search operation was conducted involving boats and helicopters from various agencies, including HM Coastguard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), and the London Fire Brigade (LFB).
Among the items found near the river were shoes, a sock, a coat, and a phone, which were handed over to the police by a local resident, Kerry Benadjaoud, aged 62. Witnesses shared that the girl, who had been playing near the water with a young boy and girl, appeared to have slipped and fallen into the river. Emergency services responded to the incident with a “large-scale response” on Monday, but were eventually stood down after search efforts were unsuccessful.
Another resident, Shaleen Rajaendram, aged 59, recounted hearing a man shouting for the police to wait as he stood on a balcony overlooking the river. The man, alerted by the children’s cries, witnessed them explaining that their friend had gone into the water and disappeared. Residents noted that the concrete slope leading into the River Thames, known as Barge House Causeway, appeared to be covered in moss and was slippery, potentially contributing to the incident
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