September 21, 2024

A man has died in Oxford after being in the water in a popular beauty spot near Swindon.

Emergency personnel were called to Port Meadow on Friday, June 21st, after hearing reports of a drowning victim.

After Thames Valley Police and Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service arrived on the scene, a man was pulled out of the water.

After being transported to a city hospital, the 19-year-old passed away in spite of the efforts made by emergency personnel.

An eyewitness anonymously told the Oxford Mail: “Lots of students were celebrating their end of exams by jumping into the water at Port Meadow from the Thames Path footbridge by Fiddler’s Island.

“Unfortunately towards the end one man wearing academic dress jumped in and drowned before he made it back to the bank.

“There was a massive emergency response, after his friends noticed that he didn’t come out of the water, from the fire, search and rescue, ambulance and police services before they found the man and unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate him on the bank.

“The man passed away which was confirmed in an email sent to students in his college.

“I was there and witnessed this unfolding.”

Thames Valley Police are investigating the death and have described it as currently “unexplained”.

A spokesperson for the force said: “Thames Valley Police is investigating the sudden, unexplained death of a 19-year-old man who tragically died in the water at Port Meadow, Oxford on Friday, 21 June.

“Officers and other emergency services attended the scene. The man was taken to hospital for treatment but sadly later died.

“Thames Valley Police is carrying out an investigation into this incident and is working alongside the coroner.

“At this stage, there is no indication of any third party involvement.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *