A WOMAN is fighting for her life after falling from a footbridge.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital in a life-threatening condition after sustaining serious leg injuries after she fell from the bridge across the road in Queensway, Southend on Saturday.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and the road was closed while officers and paramedics dealt with the incident.

Graham Armitage, 28, of Chichester Road, Southend said the incident was quite shocking.

He added: “I live near Queensway and I suddenly noticed something was going on outside.

“I was not entirely sure what was happening at first.

“The first thing that I knew was when the air ambulance passed my flat and police cars and officers were blocking off the road.

“I am not sure what the time was when the air ambulance took off but it was in the road for a fair while.

“I saw quite a bit of traffic building up along Victoria Avenue, there were terrible queues because the road was closed off.”

Ian Gilbert, Labour councillor for Victoria said the incident was a “terrible”.

He added: “My thoughts are with this woman and her family at this time and I hope she pulls through.”

An Essex Police spokesman said: “Police attended Queensway in Southend following reports that a woman had suffered serious injuries.

“She was airlifted to hospital and in a critical condition.”

The road was closed for a number of hours and reopened at around 4.30pm.

A spokesman for East of England Ambulance Service added: “The East of England Ambulance Service received a call just before 1.30pm on Saturday August 13 to Queensway, Southend, to a report of a woman who had fallen from height.

“Two ambulance crews, an ambulance officer, rapid response vehicle and Herts Air Ambulance attended the incident.

“They treated a woman, believed to be in her 20s, who was unconscious and had suffered serious leg injuries.

“She was airlifted to Royal London Hospital in a life-threatening condition.”