An investigation has been launched after a man died in hospital after collapsing into a river in Barnet.
Officers were called to the scene following reports that an unaccompanied car had been left on The Hyde at roughly 1.40am on Wednesday.
The man is believed to have left the vehicle and entered an area of the water known as The Silk Stream. He then collapsed as he made his way to the far bank.
Officers made their way around the water’s edge in a desperate attempt to reach him. Despite their best efforts they were unable to locate him.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) later attended the scene and used specialist equipment to rescue the man.
Emergency services took the man, believed to be in his late 40s, to hospital in a critical condition. He was pronounced dead in the early hours of Thursday morning.
His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.
Commander Owain Richards, from the Met’s Frontline Policing, said: "This is a very sad incident and my thoughts and condolences go out to the man's family and all those affected.“It is only right and proper that all the circumstances surrounding this incident are fully investigated and the Met police will fully cooperate with any inquiry.“In the meantime, we will be speaking to our partners and the community to provide reassurance and provide as much information as we can."
The Silk Stream is a brook just over 4km long in the London Borough of Barnet.
