Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Woman who died in sea at Brighton was ‘passionate’ space student

Sai Tejaswi Kommareddy was pulled from the water in the East Sussex city on Tuesday April 11.

Ben Mitchell
Wednesday 19 April 2023 18:12 BST
(Cranfield University/PA)
(Cranfield University/PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A woman who died after being rescued from the water off Brighton beach has been named as a 24-year-old space science student.

Sai Tejaswi Kommareddy was pulled from the water in the East Sussex city on Tuesday April 11.

A cousin of Ms Kommareddy, who was studying a MSc in astronautics and space engineering at Cranfield University, has launched a fundraising page for the repatriation of her remains to her home country of India.

Writing on a GoFundMe page, Pradeep Reddy Lekkala said: “Sai was an incredibly bright and passionate student, and had a deep love for all things related to space and aviation.

She had a natural curiosity and a thirst for knowledge that inspired everyone around her

Pradeep Reddy Lekkala

“Unfortunately, her life was cut short, and we are left with a heavy heart and a deep sense of loss.

“As we try to come to terms with our grief, we are also faced with the difficult task of repatriating Sai’s remains to her home country.

“This process has been challenging, both emotionally and financially.”

Describing her cousin, she added: “Sai was a driven and hardworking individual who dreamed of pursuing a career in aeronautics and space.

“She had a natural curiosity and a thirst for knowledge that inspired everyone around her.

“She had already made significant progress in her studies, but her dreams were cut short before she could achieve her full potential.”

A spokeswoman for Cranfield University said: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sai Tejaswi Kommareddy, who was studying at Cranfield University.

“Our thoughts and heartfelt sympathies are with her family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

“We know this loss is devastating and we are supporting friends, family and our wider student and staff community. We would encourage anyone affected by this news to reach out to our wellbeing team for support and advice.”

A Sussex Police spokesman said: “Emergency services conducted a search off Brighton beach shortly after 4pm on Tuesday April 11.

“Sadly, the body of a woman was found. Her next of kin have been informed.

“Her death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for HM coroner.”

A 21-year-old man died in the sea nearby the following day during the heavy winds of Storm Noa.

For details of the fundraising effort visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/repatriation-of-a-mortal-remains-of-sai

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in