Body of man pulled from Hampstead Heath ponds

A body has been pulled from the lake
@MikieHanson

The body of a man has been pulled from a fishing pond in Hampstead Heath.

Police were called to Lake 2, opposite the mixed bathing area, after receiving reports of a body floating in the water.

The victim, aged in his 20s, was pulled out by emergency services but he was declared dead at the scene.

A forensic tent has been erected next to the beauty spot which is popular with dogs and anglers.

A cordon was established on the path running between No 2 and No 1 ponds towards South Hill Park Gardens.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: "A body was recovered from Lake 2 of Hampstead Heath, off East Heath Road, at around 10.30am.

"The body is believed to be that of a man, aged in his 20s. The incident is not believed to be suspicious."

In the height of summer 2019, the body of a man was recovered from one of Hampstead Heath's swimming ponds.

Police divers had been searching Highgate Men's Bathing Pond for a bather, aged in his mid-50s, who was missing and feared drowned after the hottest day of the year in June.

The alarm was raised after a pile of men's clothing was found on the bank of the men's bathing pond as temperatures in London reached 27C. 

The pond, which can reach depths of up to 20ft and has a silt bottom, was closed to swimmers for several days.

In November Met police divers were searching the ponds to look for the body of a man believed missing for 7 years.

Murder probe: Robert Duff pictured with his two daughters
Met police

Relatives of Robert Duff, who would now be 45, raised the alarm on January 12 2013 when he failed to attend his daughter’s 18th birthday celebration.

The Metropolitan Police launched a murder investigation and officers began searching bodies of water close to the area where he was last seen.

Speaking to the PA news agency at the time, his mother Helen Duff, 67, said: “As a family we have mixed feelings after this announcement, the prospect that Robert could be at the bottom of a pond I walk past regularly is quite upsetting.

“It would raise questions about what happened to Robert, and who did something terrible to him and why.

“But it would also bring some closure to us and his daughters about where he is so we hope someone comes forward with information on the back of this.”

His heartbroken daughters watched on from the banks as police divers scoured the lake to no avail. He is still missing.

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