Evening vigil for teenager who drowned in river

A church has invited the community to light candles in memory of the 14-year-old boy who died after getting into difficulty in the River Thames.

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

At St Mary's Church in Iffley residents have been coming to pray and leaving cards for the family of the teenager, named locally as Baltazar L'Quy.

The Vicar, the Reverend Clare Hayns, said there would be a vigil held from 17:00 to 18:00 BST on Friday for anyone who would like to "light a candle and pray" for the victim and his family.

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

His death comes after young people died 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).

Speaking to the BBC, a member of the Oxford Timorese Community Association said it was a "heartbreaking time".

"This tragedy is very sad and is shocking to most parents - not only within the East Timor community."

TVP confirmed that the boy's family had been informed and offered support.

Reverend Hayns said all the people in the area were "shocked and sad that this could have happened".

"My heart and those around in this community goes out to this young man's family and friends at this time," she said, adding that a group of people had gathered at 07:30 BST to pray for his family.

Hayns said the community was also thinking about "practical things of way we can help beyond this to get safety training for all our young people".

"We're right by the river here and we all need to be praying but also thinking how can we support other young people and make sure that we're safe in these waters around us."

Hayns said the church is open for people to gather and seek support.

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