Two strangers appear to have leapt from the Humber Bridge moments apart in a bizarre double tragedy.
Sam Conlin, 24, from Hull, and a man in his 40s who has not been publicly identified, disappeared from the bridge within minutes of each other in the early hours of Saturday morning.
An extensive police search operation has not found any sign of either man in or around the water, but both are now believed to have died.
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Conlin’s father, Ian, said that bridge operators had been monitoring his son via CCTV, and contacted police to share their concerns for his welfare.
However, “before the emergency services could respond, a car was seen driving onto the bridge nearby and a second man pulled over, walked to the railings and disappeared”, reports the Grimsby Telegraph.
The second man was reportedly a father and grandfather in his 40s from Grimsby, on the other side of the Humber. He leapt into the water less than 50 metres from the spot Conlin was last seen.
The jump triggered an extensive search operation which included coastguard crews and a helicopter. However, after more than six hours with no sign of the missing man, the search was called off late on Saturday morning, the Hull Daily Mail reports.
Conlin’s father says that the timing of the second incident meant that his son’s final moments were not caught on CCTV.
“When they turned the camera back round, Sam was not on the bridge,” he said, adding that there was “no doubt” that his son leapt to his death.
The young man “left a note saying he ‘couldn't go on’ following a secret eight year-long mental health battle” before he vanished from home, says the Hull Daily Mail.
“We only found out that he was struggling with mental health three months ago, but we never thought he was suicidal,” Conlin’s father told the newspaper.
He urged other young people experiencing similar feelings to confide in their parents or another trusted person.
“We just feel like Sam didn't even give us a chance for us to help him, but it might not be too late for someone else.”
If you are in the UK and need immediate mental health support, please contact the Samaritans free on 116 123.
