A DRAMATIC coastguard search was launched in Southampton after a mystery man was seen struggling in a river.

Residents in Bitterne Park and Northam saw a man who appeared to be drowning in the River Itchen, close to St Denys railway bridge.

A coastguard helicopter was scrambled at 12.49pm and other agencies joined forces and rushed to the scene to find himthe mystery man.

The helicopter was seen flying so low, as it circled around Bitterne Park Triangle and Cobden Bridge, that people could see the pilot clearly.

A Calshot RNLI lifeboat searched the river for more than two hours to find the man with the Southampton coastguard team.

The coastguard helicopter circled between Cobden Bridge and the railway bridge for more than two hours.

Daily Echo:

Despite the full-scale rescue operation, it was was stood down at 3.30pm after no one was found.

An ambulance was seen at Cobden Bridge an hour after the search, but South Central Ambulance said the call-out was unrelated to the coastguard search.

Anil Sood who owns SOS Hardware in Bitterne Park Triangle said: “The helicopter was hovering for about 45 minutes, it was circling around the houses close to Cobden Bridge, and then it went back and hovered above the Old Chemist.

“It was extremely loud, lots of people came out from the shops to see what was going on, it was flying so low that I could even see the pilot.”

Another shopkeeper in Bitterne Park Triangle, said: “I saw the helicopter – it was flying around here at 1pm, it was flying very low so I came out to have a look out of curiosity and there were two coastguard vehicles on Cobden Bridge.”

Vera Lewis, secretary of the Riverside Club in Priory Avenue in St Denys, said: “I could see the helicopter, as it was coming as far as here and turning around and coming back again. It is terribly sad if they were searching for someone in the water.”

A spokesperson for HM Coastguard, said: “Calshot RNLI lifeboat, Southampton coastguard team and a rescue helicopter responded to a call saying a person was struggling in the water.

“An extensive search was carried out but nothing untoward was found.”

The incident was reported to HM Coastguard at 12.49pm yesterday and was called off at 3.30pm.