Mystery over man with dragon-like tattoo rescued from Thames

Unidentified man plucked from the river near Putney Embankment and airlifted to hospital

Injured man believed to be in his 30s ( Metropolitan Police/PA Wire/PA Images)

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

Scotland Yard hopes to trace friends or family of the man, who remains in critical but stable condition after he was pulled from the river by RNLI lifesavers near London’s Putney Embankment.

Detectives have ruled out foul play and believe the man injured himself after wading into a part of the river he thought was shallow.

The Metropolitan Police released a photo of the man in his hospital bed in the hope someone recognises him. He is described as a white male, 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.

“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 has two distinctive tattoos on his left hand and one on his lower right leg, that are faded black in colour."

On the night of his rescue, July 26, the London Ambulance Service was alerted shortly after 7pm to reports of a man in the Thames.

Passers-by helped the RNLI drag him out of the river before he was airlifted to hospital.

Detective Sergeant Samantha Batchelor said: “We have exhausted all our lines of enquiry 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.