Student, 17, dies in ‘tragic accident’ during school trip to West Wittering
The 17-year-old was visiting beach near Chichester with collegemates to celebrate end of term
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.The death of a 17-year-old student who got into difficulty in the sea during a school trip in West Sussex has been described as a “tragic accident” by his college principal.
Emergency services received a call of concern for the teenager’s welfare in the water at a beach in West Wittering, near Chichester, at around 1pm on Tuesday.
The boy was part of a group from Uxbridge College in west London, who were visiting the area to celebrate the end of term.
A college spokesman said the student got into difficulty in the sea and “tragically it was not possible to save them”.
He was airlifted to hospital where he was pronounced dead, and his family have been informed, Sussex police said.
Uxbridge College principal Dylan McTaggart said: “This was a tragic accident that has had a huge impact on everyone here. Our priority now is to look after all those affected.
“We have enlisted the help of qualified counsellors and will make sure that over the next days and weeks we have staff and professional support available to our community.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and we ask that you respect their privacy as they grieve the loss of a child.”
This was an absolutely tragic incident and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the boy’s loved ones at this heartbreaking time.
Detective inspector Darren Taylor of Sussex police said officers are investigating the incident to establish the full facts, supported by the Health and Safety Executive.
“This was an absolutely tragic incident and I would like to express my sincere condolences to the boy’s loved ones at this heartbreaking time,” he said.
“We are asking anyone who has any information that could help to contact us online or via 101, quoting Operation Redhill.”
A spokeswoman for West Wittering Estate said the emergency services and police were quickly on the scene before the boy was taken to hospital.
“We are deeply saddened to report that a 17-year-old boy drowned yesterday after getting into difficulty in the water,” she said.
“Lifeguards deployed their equipment, including jet skis, to rush to the scene. Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.