A 14-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in the River Thames in Oxford has been named locally as Baltazar L’Quy
A teenager who tragically died after getting into difficulty in the River Thames has been named and pictured as his devastated mum reportedly warned parents about the dangers of wild swimming.
Baltazar L’Quy became the 11th person to die in a water-related tragedy during the heatwave after his body was recovered in Oxford.
The Oxford Timorese Community Association confirmed the teenager’s name and offered its “deepest condolences” to the boy’s family.
Thames Valley Police described the death as “unexplained but not suspicious”, after officers were called to the river near Donnington Bridge at around 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Speaking to the BBC, a representative of the Oxford Timorese Community Association described it as a “heartbreaking time”.
“This has been a very painful moment, not only for the family, but also for the Timorese community, in Oxford and across the United Kingdom,” they said. “This tragedy is very sad and is shocking to most parents – not only within the East Timor community.”
The community member revealed they had spoken directly with L’Quy’s family. “The mum was actually saying that this is happening to them, and it’s shocking and it’s very sudden,” they said.
“But she would like to remind all the other parents, to remind the children when they’re out there – don’t just go into any water and to always make sure that they go with an adult.”
Thames Valley Police issued a statement on Thursday, saying: “We are sad to confirm a boy died after getting into difficulty in the River Thames at Donnington Bridge yesterday.
“The 14-year-old boy’s family have been informed and offered support; our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”
The teenager’s death follows a series of fatal water-related incidents involving young people in Lincoln, Halifax, Rotherham, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Farnborough and Lancashire, as well as a man in his 60s in Cornwall and a woman in her 70s in Wales.
Some of the victims have been named and tributes paid, while others are yet to be formally identified by police.
