The teenage boy, named locally as Baltazar L’Quy, got into difficulty close to Donnington bridge on Wednesday evening, May 27 before he was tragically pronounced dead.

His family has been made aware and are being looked after, police say.

Baltazar, of Timorese descent in south east Asia, was named by the Oxford Timorese Community Association.

Fire crew near Iffley Lock (Image: Kevin Brackett)

Karlota, who did not leave give her surname, was on-scene when Baltazar got into difficulty and said “he was not alone” in his final moments.

She said: “I wanted to send my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family during this unimaginably difficult time.

“I was there that evening, and I want you to know from the bottom of my heart that he was not alone.

“Several of us who were present did absolutely everything humanly possible to find him and help him; we didn’t leave his side for a single moment.

“We are holding you in our thoughts and sending you all the love and support in the world. May your sweet angel rest in peace.”

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Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds described the death as “shocking and very upsetting” and added: “I know everyone in Oxford will be heartbroken to hear.

“My thoughts and sympathy are with this poor boy’s family and everyone who was at the scene of this dreadful incident.

“This tragedy appears to have happened near the terrible incidents with Aown Dogar and Hussain Mohammed, may they rest in peace.

“It’s awful to see again a young life being lost in this way.”

Aown, 13, was playing piggy in the middle and tag in waist-deep water at Donnington Bridge in 2015 when he drowned.

And in 2012, Mohammed Hussain died aged 15 after jumping from the bridge into the river also at the same spot.

A member of the Oxford Timorese Community Association group told the BBC: “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.

“This tragedy is very sad and is shocking to most parents – not only within the East Timor community.”

The member added: “The mum was actually saying that this is happening to them, and it’s shocking and it’s very sudden.

“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.”

David Henwood, leader of the Independent Oxford Alliance Group, has said that houses of multiple occupation (HMOs) are “not a long-term solution” to the city’s housing crisis.

He added that they can place pressure on public infrastructure when grouped in areas in terms of parking, waste collection, local services and community cohesion.

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However, leader of Oxford City Council Susan Brown said the local authority has a policy of restricting the overall number of HMOs in a given area and said they provide “relatively cheap accommodation” in a city where housing is expensive.

Their comments come after at least 14 applications were submitted to the city council in May for properties to become HMOs, large HMOs, or for retrospective approval to confirm use as a HMO.

David Henwood, Oxfordshire county and Oxford city councillor (Image: Ed Nix)

This includes 47 Hawthorn Avenue (26/01209/FUL), Fern Hill (26/01202/FUL), 1 Benson Road (26/01184/FUL), 11 Broadhead Place (26/01174/FUL), 32 Oxford Road (26/01076/CEU), 60 Wolsey Road (26/01069/FUL) and 12 Norham Road (26/01066/VAR).

In addition there are applications in for 43 Sandy Lane (26/01053/FUL), 57 Magdalen Road (26/01028/FUL), 31 Old Marston Road (26/01027/FUL), 245 London Road (26/00919/FUL), 15 Salford Road (26/00923/FUL), 11 Chatham Road (26/00889/CEU) and 5 Ridgefield Road (26/00849/CEU).

Mr Henwood admitted that HMOs have a “clear role to play in Oxford’s housing market” and said he understood why more applications are moving forward.

Hawthorn Avenue, Oxford, where a HMO application has been submitted (Image: Google Maps)

“However, HMOs are not a long-term solution to Oxford’s housing crisis in themselves,” he said.

Nor are they relatively cheap, Mr Henwood added, stating that the average rent is roughly between £750 and £950 per room, per month, in Oxford, higher than the national average of £500 to £650.

He said there needs to be more of a focus on “quality over quantity”.

Mr Henwood explained: “Too often, councils rely on HMOs as a quick fix while avoiding the bigger issue of delivering genuinely affordable homes and the infrastructure needed to support growing communities.”

Sandy Lane, Oxford, where a HMO application has been submitted (Image: Googe Maps)

Ms Brown said this is a priority for the current administration.

She said: “As a Labour city council our focus is on building more affordable housing such as council housing and shared ownership but also exploring lower cost rental.

“We are the only council in the country to regulate all private rented housing in the city as well as HMOs to drive up standards in the private rented sector.”

City council leader Susan Brown (Image: Oxford City Council)

According to Mr Henwood there are around 4,400 HMOs in Oxford compared to more than 30,000 private rented properties but that the number of the former may grow if licensing fees (charges levied by local councils on private landlords to legally rent out properties) aren’t soon amended.

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He said: “A HMO containing four individual flats could see licensing costs work out at around £190 per unit, while a privately rented one-bedroom flat can face selective licensing costs of more than £850.

“That imbalance is one reason we are seeing more HMOs coming forward, while smaller private rentals become increasingly expensive to operate.”

“This model now needs serious review,” he added, before suggesting that private landlord licensing fees are brought closer to HMO costs on a per-bedroom basis.

The 14-year-old has been confirmed dead after the incident at Donnington Bridge at around 5.45pm, becoming the 11th person to die in water during this month’s heatwave.

READ MORE: Oxford teenage boy dies after River Thames incident

This follows those of at least 10 other people in incidents in the sea, lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, around the country during the heatwave.

READ MORE: Oxfordshire breaks temperature records after 82 years

Thames Valley Police said the Oxford death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious and its investigation is ongoing.

A statement issued on Thursday said: “His family have been informed and offered support. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”

READ MORE: Major emergency response on Oxford Donnington Bridge

Around 20 land, water and air emergency vehicles responded to the 5.45pm report in total, including police, ambulance and fire.

Mass emergency police presence on Donnington Bridge (Image: Zoe Broughton)

Police helicopter seen circling over the River Thames near Donnington Bridge (Image: Zoe Broughton)

Seven police cars and a helicopter were first seen in the area shortly after 6pm.

The first day of Oxford University Boat Club’s Summer Eights ‘bumps’ races then concluded earlier than expected at around 6.42pm, according to online commentary, before the bridge was closed.

Shortly afterwards, rowers and spectators were asked to move away from the span, riverbanks and the Longbridge’s boathouse area as the emergency response intensified.

Summer Eights 2026 was cancelled on Wednesday, May 27 after an alleged emergency incident (Image: Zoe Broughton)

By this point, there were said to be at least 20 emergency vehicles, with one eyewitness saying they counted 11 police cars, four fire engines, two ambulance trucks, two ambulance cars and a helicopter.

An eye witness said college crews that had already passed Donnington Bridge towards the start by Iffley Lock were not allowed to row home.

By about 8.30pm, one crew was still stranded in its boat near Iffley Lock while others had left their boats and were waiting to be picked up near Donnington Bridge.

The bridge was reopened with one eyewitness, who was on their way home from work across the bridge, saying a fire engine and four police cars remained on the bridge as officers spoke to people and asked cyclists to dismount and walk.

Fire crew near Iffley Lock (Image: Kevin Brackett)

At least eight children have died across the country, with the youngest being 12-year-old Junior Slater in Kent, and the oldest being a 72-year-old grandfather from Cornwall.

Some of the hottest meteorological spring temperatures were recorded in the UK, including in Oxfordshire, which saw record-breaking highs of 33.6C in Benson, near Wallingford.

This newspaper has launched a Book of Condolence online for people to leave their tributes to the boy who died on Wednesday in Oxford.