The Gervais Street bridge was shut down for hours Thursday after authorities searched for a person who reportedly went into the water around 10 a.m. Witnesses said they saw a man hit the water and heard a splash, and authorities sent divers, boats and a helicopter to search. A lane of the Blossom Street bridge, which is downstream on the Congaree River, was also closed.
The bridge was reopened in the afternoon, although divers continued to search. Multiple agencies responded to the bridge, including Columbia and Cayce police, the Columbia Fire Department, the state Department of Natural Resources and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office.
No one was located, but Columbia Fire Department spokesman Brick Lewis said that they still believe someone did go into the water.