Barton Peveril student Freddie Sampson described the ‘manic’ scene on board the bus as the driver ‘lost control’.
He told the BBC: ‘We ran into a lamppost and the whole windscreen shattered.
‘It was like we couldn’t stop and had to weave through traffic trying not to hit any cars and then the bus driver lost control – we went flying into the river.
‘It was all a bit manic. No-one really knew what was going on. I looked out the front to see people moving out of the way,like cars out the front… I looked round… they were all confused and scared.’
Inspector Andy Tester,of Hampshire Constabulary,said: ‘It must have been terrifying and my thoughts are very much with the children and the driver on the bus,who must have had a terrifying experience.’
He said several people including the driver were trapped on board when emergency services arrived.
The bus was ferrying school children to their Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rated college (Picture: Ollie Thompson/Solent News)
Students were riding to school at Barton Peveril College when the bus left the road (Picture: Google)
He said: ‘There was a lot of bravery shown by many people who were first on scene,who didn’t have training to work in water and weren’t equipped,but quickly backed up by our fire and ambulance colleagues who did have the right training to make it safe and make it a safe working environment.’
Mr Tester added that it will be a ‘complex’ operation to remove the bus,which has suffered severe damage to the front and ended up in the water below the level of the road.
A South Central Ambulance Service spokesman said it scrambled five ambulances,two helicopters,and specialist response units to the scene,while Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service sent crews from Eastleigh,St Mary’s,Redbridge,Hightown and Portchester.
Richard Tyldsley,Bluestar general manager,said: ‘Our thoughts are with everybody involved,and we wish those who were injured a full and speedy recovery.
‘At this time,we do not know the circumstances behind this incident and are carrying out an immediate investigation. We are also assisting the police as they carry out their own inquiries.’
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