Drowning was ‘prank gone wrong’ (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Drowning was ‘prank gone wrong’

2:23pm Friday 5th January 2007 in News By Stephen Abbott

The body of a man who jumped into the Thames following a New Years Eve booze session has been found.

Police divers, dogs, a helicopter and RNLI lifeboats from Teddington and Chiswick scrambled to the scene, on the borders of Richmond, at around 2.30pm after a friend who had been drinking with the missing 35-year-old raised the alarm.

The accident seems to have been the result of a "foolhardy prank" gone wrong, a London Coastguard spokesman said, adding that there was no evidence the man had wanted to kill himself.

In fact, "his friend saw him dive in, wave back and then disappear from view," said David Clarke from Chiswick RNLI Lifeboat.

Police said the man was then swept away by the fast moving current.

He entered the water off Swan Street, opposite Isleworth Ait, near to the London Apprentice and Town Wharf pubs and his body was found 150 yards north.

Authorities abandoned their extensive search, which stretched to Richmond, at around 6pm on New Years Eve due to bad light, but they returned on New Years Day and again on January 2 to search for a body.

At 10am on Wednesday, January 3, police divers recovered a body.

His next of kin has been informed and a date for the post mortem and inquest are still to be made. The man has not been named.

A police spokesman added that the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Hounslow police on 020 8247 1212. They are particularly keen to speak to an elderly couple who were passing by at the time.