Missing British backpacker jumped into Brisbane River ‘for fun’

DALE had just got a new job and had been drinking with friends when he decided to jump off a bridge into the Brisbane River.

THE British backpacker who leapt off an inner-city Brisbane bridge had spent the night drinking with mates and just got a new job.

The man, whose body has still not been found, had been with other travellers at a hostel when he came up with the idea of jumping into the Brisbane River “for fun” and to cool down.

Brisbane regional duty officer Inspector Sean Cryer told reporters the 30-year-old, known only as Dale, urged tourists and locals to take care on the bridge.

“They had agreed between themselves that they were going to jump off the bridge for a bit of fun and to cool down,” he said.

Usually people lived, but sometimes they tragically died, he said.

Dale’s friends watched him fall the 10m from the bridge into the river. He landed on his side and then went under the water. A few seconds later he resurfaced with his arms stretched out, but then wasn’t seen again.

Friend Han Welvaarts told the Seven Network Dale was “very friendly guy, always smiling so happy, outgoing. It’s really sad this happened to him.”

British backpacker Dale, 30, is missing in the Brisbane River.

Search for the British backpacker who jumped from the William Jolly Bridge into the Brisbane River. Pic Darren England.

He told media that the group had ben drinking — and that definitely was a factor in Dale’s decision-making — but denied “everybody was super wasted.’

Four of them had planned to jump but Dale was the only one who actually did it.

Witness Jan Runharr told Seven: “We said ‘no don’t jump’ but then he was running an jumping over the bridge.”

At least one of the people who had been on the bridge filmed the jump on his mobile phone. The footage has been seized by police.

Dale’s parents in the UK have been informed but Queensland Police are still trying to speak with other family members.

According to his Facebook page, Dale had been travelling since at least September 2014 when he visited Cambodia. He lived in New Zealand for several months until he moved to Brisbane last year.