Person rescued from River Thames in Canning Town as new figures reveal spike in accidental drownings
Emergency services were called on Wednesday at around 8.15am to reports of an individual beneath the River Lea Service Bridge in Canning Town, Newham.
Marine officers from the Metropolitan Police and firefighters from the London Fire Brigade attended the scene. And the person was eventually passed into the care of the London Ambulance Service.
A LAS spokesman said: 'We were called at 8.18am today (30 July) to reports of a person in the water at River Lea Service Bridge, Canning Town.
'We sent resources to the scene, including an ambulance crew, an incident response officer, a paramedic in a fast response car and paramedics from our hazardous area response team.
'Our first paramedics arrived on scene in three minutes. Our crews assisted our emergency services partners at the scene but were later stood down.'
The incident comes after the LFB urged caution around water over the summer holidays, as new figures revealed that accidental drownings have spiked in the past two years.
Between January 1 and July 14, crews attended 15 accidental fatal drownings — nearly quadruple the number recorded in the same period ten years ago, which saw just four.
Throughout the entirety of 2024, there were 16 accidental drownings recorded — the highest number in over a decade.
The water always seems inviting when summer is here
Matt Allchurch
In total, the Brigade has responded to more than 380 water-related incidents across the city in 2025 alone, which is an increase of around 29 per cent on last year.
Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, Pam Oparaocha, said: 'While the hot weather may tempt people to cool off in rivers and lakes, many are unaware of the very real and immediate dangers of open water.
'Even in hot weather, most inland water in London remains below 16C, which can cause cold water shock and lead to drowning.'
Matt Allchurch, Lifeboat Operations Manager at Teddington RNLI, added: "The water always seems inviting when summer is here, but it hides currents, obstacles and tides that can cause harm and catch people off-guard.'
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