A London bus driver jumped a 6-foot gap on Tower Bridge with 20 passengers aboard

This London bus driver performed an astonishing feat when his double-decker leapt across a six-foot gap on Tower Bridge with 20 passengers on board.

The bridge had unexpectedly begun to rise while the bus was crossing, leaving the driver with only seconds to react.

With no time to reverse and the threat of plunging into the Thames below, he made a split-second decision to accelerate forward.

Against the odds, he cleared the gap and brought everyone to safety.

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Some passengers were traumatized

The London bus driver, Albert Gunter, had been a wartime tank operator, and it was this background that gave him the nerve to act decisively.

On 30 December 1952, driving steadily at 12mph, he noticed too late that the southern bascule (the movable section of road) was lifting.

He quickly dropped gears, hit the accelerator, and launched the bus over the opening section, in a scene straight out of a Fast & Furious movie.

Time magazine later quoted him as saying: “It was horrifying. I felt we had to keep on or we might be flung into the river.”

Passengers recalled the terrifying moment vividly.

One man, Peter Dunn, remembered a loud crash before being thrown to the floor, along with others.

Miraculously, only two people suffered significant injuries: the conductor with a broken leg and one passenger with a fractured collarbone.

Most were left shaken, but uninjured.

One young woman, May Walshaw, initially found herself too afraid to board another bus, until Mr Gunter himself helped her regain her confidence by personally driving her back across Tower Bridge.

She later married, with Gunter attending her wedding as a friend.

The London bus driver received £10 for his bravery

The incident sparked questions about how the bridge could have opened while vehicles were crossing.

Normally, warning signals included red traffic lights and a hand-bell, but witnesses insisted the lights were green and no bell was heard.

A subsequent inquiry blamed human error by a bridge employee, and the Corporation of London accepted responsibility.

For his bravery, Gunter received £10 (about the equivalent of £350 or $470 today), and a day off from London Transport.

He was also gifted £35 (around £1225 or $1650 today) and a holiday from the City Corporation.

His children were even invited to the Lord Mayor’s party.

These are relatively modest rewards, especially for such a brave act.

It certainly pales in comparison to the reward this YouTuber gave to the construction workers building his summer house.

Still, it doesn’t seem like Gunter particularly cares about the money.

After all, when asked how he would spend the reward, he replied saying ‘five for me, and five for the missus’.

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