British man missing after jumping off bridge for 'bit of fun' in Australia

'It's just a sad thing that people do sometimes, and sometimes they live and sometimes they die,' police say

William Jolly Bridge (Rae Allen/Flickr)

A British backpacker is missing in Brisbane after jumping off a bridge for a “bit of fun”.

The 30-year-old, who has not been named, was drinking with three friends at backpackers' hostel when he jumped off the William Jolly Bridge in the Queensland city.

Police were still scouring the banks of the Brisbane River in the hope of finding the man alive more than 12 hours after he jumped in.

Inspector Sean Cryer, from Brisbane Police, said: "They agreed between themselves that they were going to jump off he bridge for a bit of fun and to cool down.

"The young man in question, a 30-year-old British national, jumped off the bridge first.

"The other three guys said that he took a running jump from three or four metres away, jumped over the rail and went under the water."

He said the man rolled on his side and was spotted one more time above water.

Police, friends, the Sandgate Volunteer Marine Rescue, and the Queensland Government Rescue 500 helicopter crew have all been involved in the search.

Insp Cryer warned locals and tourists of the dangers of jumping off the William Jolly bridge - saying police logs featured around one such incident each month.

"I think you'll find there's probably been people jumping off that bridge ever since they built it," he said.

"It's just a sad thing that people do sometimes, and sometimes they live and sometimes they die."