Teenager who drowned in River Thames named

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.

Confirming the teenager's name, the Oxford Timorese Community Association expressed its "deepest condolences" to the boy's family.

Thames Valley Police said the death was "unexplained but not suspicious", after being called to the river near Donnington Bridge at about 17:30 BST on Wednesday.

The teenager is the 11th person to die in water-related incidents during the recent heatwave across the country.

Speaking to the BBC, a member of the Oxford Timorese Community Association said it was 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 group member said they had spoken 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."

In a statement earlier on Thursday, Thames Valley Police said: "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 14-year-old's death comes after young people died in water-related incidents in Lincoln, Halifax, Rotherham, Warwickshire, Cheshire, Farnborough and Lancashire, along with a man in his 60s in Cornwall and a woman in her 70s in Wales.

Several of the victims have been named and tributes paid, while others have not yet been formally identified by police.

Their deaths have sparked a warning about cold water shock from The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS).

Previously, the area near Donnington Bridge was the focus of a water safety campaign by Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service and RLSS.

In 2012, 15-year-old Mohammed Hussain died after jumping from the bridge into the river.

Aown Dogar, 13, drowned at the site in 2015 after playing in waist-deep water but being taken out of his depth by a ledge.

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