17-Year-Old Missing After Jumping from Luís I Bridge into Douro River in Porto

A 17-year-old boy disappeared this Friday afternoon in the Douro River after jumping from the lower deck of the Luís I Bridge in Porto, as confirmed by the National Maritime Authority. According to Commander Rui Lampreia, the search for the young man's body involved divers who were demobilized around 7:00 PM due to insufficient light, as the sun was already very low by that time.

From 8:59 PM, when the sun set, land patrols began on both banks, as stated by the captain of the Douro and Leixões port. If the body does not appear during this period, the water search will resume on Saturday starting at 8:30 AM.

A source from the Porto Metropolitan Area Sub-Regional Command told Lusa that the young man was one of those who typically jump into the river for money given by tourists. Later, SIC Notícias reported that he was a student from a school in Vila Nova de Gaia, who was at the location as part of a study visit. The teenager disappeared around 1:15 PM on the Porto side, the source specified.

The National Maritime Authority reported that the search began immediately with members of the Local Maritime Police Command and the Douro Port Captaincy, crew from the Douro Lifesaving Station, as well as divers from the Porto Sappers Firefighters Regiment. The Psychology Office of the Maritime Police and INEM were also activated.