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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Katie Weston

Man in 20s dies after plunging into River Thames in -3C cold near London Bridge

A man in his 20s has died after plunging into the River Thames amid freezing temperatures on Monday.

His body was recovered from the water near London Bridge at 9.25pm, said the Met Police.

Officers had been called around four hours earlier after a man was seen entering the Thames.

The man has not yet been formally identified, but his next of kin have been informed.

His death comes after a number of water-related fatalities in recent days as temperatures dip below freezing, including three boys who tragically fell through an icy lake in Solihull on Sunday.

Multiple fatalities are also feared after a small boat thought to be carrying 40 people sunk five miles off the coast of Kent early this morning.

Police were called on Monday evening after a man was seen entering the Thames (@UKStreetCrime2/Twitter)
A search was carried out with the Met's Marine Policing Unit, City of London Police and the RNLI (@UKStreetCrime2/Twitter)

A spokesperson for the Met Police said: "Police were called at 17:33hrs on Monday, 12 December after concerns were raised about a man who was seen entering the River Thames near to London Bridge.

"Officers attended and carried out a search with support from the Met's Marine Policing Unit, City of London Police and the RNLI. Despite extensive enquiries the man could not be found.

"At 21:25hrs the body of a man, aged in his 20s, was recovered from the water near to London Bridge. He is believed to be the man seen entering the water earlier.

"His next of kin have been informed. Formal identification is yet to take place. The death is not being treated as suspicious."

The report comes as the Met Office extends a yellow warning for snow and ice covering northern Scotland and north-east England until noon on Friday.

The man's body was recovered around four hours later (@UKStreetCrime2/Twitter)
His death comes after a number of water-related fatalities in recent days (@UKStreetCrime2/Twitter)

Minus 17.3C was recorded at Braemar in Aberdeenshire on Monday into Tuesday, making it the coldest place in the UK for the second night in a row.

Heavy snow showers have been reported in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire on Wednesday, where motorists have been warned to drive with care.

Met Office spokeswoman Becky White said areas covered by the latest weather warnings could see up to 10cm of fresh snow on higher ground.

"We could see a good few new centimetres of snow accumulation," she said. "We could see around 1-4cm at lower levels and 5-10cm on higher ground across the Highlands."

Snow and ice warnings are also in place in the South West until 10am on Wednesday.

She added: "There will be a risk of ice across the country over the next few days, but particularly tonight. There is a band of rain moving in from the South West, but it may turn into snow as it reaches land."

She said the South West could see 1-2cm of snow at lower levels, and 1-10cm of snow on higher ground such as Dartmoor and Exmoor.

An ice warning is in place in eastern England until noon on Wednesday.

The national forecaster has also added a yellow ice warning in northern parts of Northern Ireland, including Belfast, from noon on Tuesday until noon on Wednesday.

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