The search for a person who reportedly jumped off the French King Bridge Tuesday evening resumed on Wednesday, with help expected from the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and the State Police Underwater Recovery Unit.
“Assets were out continuing the search today,” confirmed Gill Police Chief Christopher Redmond.
According to Dave Procopio, a spokesperson for Massachusetts State Police, the State Police Underwater Recovery Unit is planning to deploy side-scan sonar for an underwater search. MSP Air Wing, which was deployed Wednesday to assist in the search for a missing woman from Lee, is also expected to help with the search.
Greenfield Police also returned on Wednesday to deploy its drone to assist in the search, according to Procopio.
State and local police and fire personnel were called to the French King Bridge at around 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday to begin a search of the area for the individual. The Northfield Dive Team was also called in to assist, but Northfield Fire Chief Floyd “Skip” Dunnell III said that due to high river flow it was unable to carry out dive operations.
Dunnell explained that prior to dive operations, the water is tested from Northfield Mountain Pumped Hydrostorage Station. On Tuesday evening, the water was flowing at about 20- to 26,000 cubic feet per second, which is 2½ times stronger and faster than is diveable.