Man with dragon-like tattoo in hospital after rescue by RNLI near Putney Embankment

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Police have issued an appeal in an attempt to find the family of a man with a dragon-like tattoo more than a week after he was rescued from the Thames in London.

Detectives released photographs of the man in a hospital bed. He remains in critical but stable condition after he was pulled from the river by RNLI lifesavers near Putney Embankment.



Police have ruled out any suspicious circumstances and believe the man injured himself after wading into a part of the river he had thought was shallow. He was airlifted to hospital shortly after being discovered.



The Metropolitan police said the white man is believed to be in his 30s and has tattoos on his hand and lower leg. He is dark in complexion, brown haired and of medium build.



One of two tattoos on his left hand resembles a dragon. Another on his leg appears to be “tribal” in nature. The man was wearing a camouflage T-shirt with the slogan: “Now or never, no regrets, past/present/future” on it.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Police hope someone will recognise the man from dragon-like tattoo on his hand. Photograph: Metropolitan police/PA

“He was not carrying any identification and due to his poor state of health police are keen to trace his family as soon as possible,” police said.



He was also wearing grey tracksuit bottoms with black rims around the pockets, blue plimsolls with white soles and a white-and-green Dunlop shoulder bag.



The Met has called on his family and friends to come forward “as soon as possible”.



The London ambulance service was alerted shortly after 7pm on 26 July to reports of a man in the Thames.



Passersby helped the RNLI pull him out of the river before he was airlifted to hospital.



DS Samantha Batchelor said: “We have exhausted all our lines of inquiry to identify this man and we are hoping with the release of his image a friend or family member will be able to come forward tell us who he is.”



Anyone who can identify the man should call the missing person’s unit on 101.

