Search Continues in Waters off Mount Hope Bridge for Woman, 44

The Portsmouth Fire Department is continuing their search for the body of a 44-year-old woman who reportedly jumped from the Mount Hope Bridge on Tuesday night.

The Fire Department has been commanding a search that began at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday after they were notified that the woman had jumped from the bridge.

Crews from Bristol, Cranston, Warwick, the state Department of Environmental Management and the United States Coast Guard aided in the initial search which continued for three hours without success.

The Bristol Police Department is handling the investigation.

The search was suspended at around 10:30 p.m. due to a lack of visibility and resumed on Wednesday morning with crews from Bristol and Portsmouth. State police relieved the fire departments during the day and continued the search.

Shoreline searches were conducted on all the shores of Mount Hope Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday, said Portsmouth Fire Department Dep. Chief Michael P. O’Brien. The Portsmouth Fire Department resumed recovery efforts this morning with a boat and more shoreline searches.

The search will continue today as long as the weather cooperates.