Man dies after slipping into freezing cold lake in London park

The man was rushed to hospital where he later died.
Welling: The man was pulled from the water but later died (Jason Green)
Chloe Chaplain28 February 2018

A man has died after being pulled from a freezing lake in a park in south east London.

Emergency services, including London Air Ambulance, rushed to Danson Park in Welling just before 4pm following reports of a person in the water.

According to the London Fire Brigade, the man slipped into the water and was rescued by a member of the public.

The man, believed to be aged in his 60s, was taken to hospital where he later died.

Initial reports on social media suggested that the man fell through ice on the lake as he attempted to help a dog.

According to eyewitnesses, several people had been walking on the frozen surface of the water earlier in the day.

Scotland Yard said the man’s death was being treated as “unexplained” and a spokesman confirmed his next of kin had been informed.

A spokeswoman for London Fire Brigade said they were called at 3.55pm to reports of a person in the water.

"One man slipped into the water and was rescued by a member of the public before the arrival of the brigade and the incident was over for firefighters at 4.20pm," she said.

A London ambulance statement said "multiple resources" were sent to the scene and the man "was taken as a priority to a major trauma centre”.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, LFB was called to help with a dog that was trapped in a frozen pond in Barnet, north London.

The long-haired Pekinese fell through the ice in Greenhill Gardens and was rescued by crew members who entered the freezing water wearing dry suits.

The incident prompted the brigade to issue a warning to people to stay away from frozen lakes or pond as the country is engulfed in freezing temperatures.

Assistant Commissioner Richard Mills: "Please, for your own safety, stay off of any frozen pond, lake or canal as there is a high risk it wont take your weight and when it's cold, hypothermia sets in rapidly and can prove fatal.

"If your dog or any other animal ends up on the ice, stay put and call 999 so firefighters can rescue it, rather than taking risks yourself."

Stunning photos show London transformed into a snowy winter wonderland

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Elsewhere, a young boy had a lucky escape when he was rescued from a frozen lake.

Firefighters rescued the youngster, who tried to run to the middle of a frozen lake and got trapped when the ice broke up at Laindon near Basildon, Essex on Wednesday afternoon

He was said to have been cold but otherwise unhurt.

Forecasters predict the snow and freezing temperatures will continue, prompting the Met Office to extend some of its weather warnings.

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