Teenager Vithuran Sathiyaseelan, who jumped into a river from a bridge, drowned yesterday after failing to resurface, police have confirmed.
Officers were called to the River Usk in Caerleon at 5.55pm following reports that the 17-year-old, who was a Sri Lankan national in Wales on a student visa, had failed to reemerge from the water.
A police helicopter and specialist divers were joined by ambulance and fire crews in the search for the University of Wales, Newport, student.
His body was found almost three hours later at around 8.50pm.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Inspector Neil Muirhead said swimmers of any age are advised to swim only in water that they know is safe, or which is supervised.
He said: “We would like to emphasise that while it might be tempting to jump into rivers during hot weather, there are hidden dangers under the water and so we would strongly advise against doing so.
“I would urge parents to ensure their children are behaving responsibly and not putting themselves at risk. Likewise for adults, even strong swimmers have experienced difficulties leading to tragic consequences in the past and it is important that everyone stays safe while enjoying warm weather.”
A spokesman for the University of Wales, Newport, said: “We can confirm that a student at the university tragically lost his life yesterday.
“The police are in the process of informing family and we cannot comment further until that has been completed.”
Officers were called to the River Usk in Caerleon at 5.55pm following reports that the 17-year-old, who was a Sri Lankan national in Wales on a student visa, had failed to reemerge from the water.
A police helicopter and specialist divers were joined by ambulance and fire crews in the search for the University of Wales, Newport, student.
His body was found almost three hours later at around 8.50pm.
Police are not treating the death as suspicious.
Inspector Neil Muirhead said swimmers of any age are advised to swim only in water that they know is safe, or which is supervised.
He said: “We would like to emphasise that while it might be tempting to jump into rivers during hot weather, there are hidden dangers under the water and so we would strongly advise against doing so.
“I would urge parents to ensure their children are behaving responsibly and not putting themselves at risk. Likewise for adults, even strong swimmers have experienced difficulties leading to tragic consequences in the past and it is important that everyone stays safe while enjoying warm weather.”
A spokesman for the University of Wales, Newport, said: “We can confirm that a student at the university tragically lost his life yesterday.
“The police are in the process of informing family and we cannot comment further until that has been completed.”
walesonline
