A man died after he "slipped and hit his head" before falling into freezing water at Danson Park.

Emergency services rushed to the park in Welling at about 4pm on Wednesday (February 28) after it was reported that a man, named by the Met as Stephen Cavanagh, had slipped into the lake.

A statement said: "In respect of the death of a man following an incident in Danson Park, the deceased has been formally identified as Stephen Cavanagh, 60, who lived locally."

According to one witness, a 41-year-old developer who lives close to the park, the victim was trying to rescue his dog when he fell. 

News Shopper:
The lake was frozen over

He said: "He slipped backwards and banged his head. He had two dogs with him I think. 

"One of the dogs looked as though it was heading in [to the water], he slipped as he went and hit his head and fell in the water. 

"He was pulled by someone before the emergency services arrived."

The resident, who is also a dogwalker, said the victim regularly walked dogs in Danson Park. 

Another man, who also lives overlooking the frozen lake, said there were dozens of police and ambulance cars at the scene almost immediately.

He said: "It looked like they had rescued the dog and they put it in the ambulance with him when they took him away.

"Emergency services arrived in force, they really did. He had gone to rescue the dog and slipped and hit his head."

Temperatures have been well below freezing as south London is battered by the 'beast from the east'. 

A spokesman for the Met Police confirmed to News Shopper  that a dog is believed to have been involved. 

Scotland Yard said: "Initial witness reports suggest the man was attempting to retrieve a dog before falling."

The man was taken to a south London hospital where he later died. 

One dog walker in the park this morning told News Shopper: "It's awful, tragic really. I suppose it was just the man's instinct." 

Police are not treating the death as suspicious.