A man in his 20s has died after entering a canal near Notting Hill Carnival in London on Monday afternoon, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed. Officers had attempted to stop the man as he approached the event, but he fled on foot and entered the water in the vicinity of Meanwhile Gardens.
Bystanders and officers entered the water to pull the man out and immediately began CPR. Paramedics continued treatment at the scene before transporting the man to a central London hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident occurred around 3:19 p.m. BST. The police are working to locate and inform the man's next of kin.
Commander Claire Smart stated that any death following contact with the police is passed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for investigation. She acknowledged the efforts of those who entered the canal to rescue the man and expressed that they would be devastated by the outcome.
The Notting Hill Carnival concluded with the two days passing largely without major incident. During the event, police reported 315 arrests on Monday, bringing the total to 560. There were also two reported assaults involving knives, neither of which resulted in life-threatening injuries.