Tragic End For Oxford Student Who Wanted To Be Britain’s Youngest Prime Minister
During the celebration, Wesley was unsure about jumping into the River Thames.
An Oxford student with dreams of becoming the youngest UK prime minister drowned while celebrating his exams.
Wesley Akum-Ojong, a 19-year-old student at the University of Oxford, sadly died while celebrating the end of his first-year exams. Wesley had big dreams of one day becoming Britain’s youngest prime minister. His family and friends remember him as a kind, caring person who made everyone around him feel special.
On June 21, Wesley joined a large group of students at Port Meadow in Oxford to celebrate finishing their exams. This spot is popular among students, and many gather there for Oxford traditions. Wesley took part in a celebration called "trashing," where students are covered with confetti and shaving foam by friends when they finish exams.
During the celebration, Wesley was unsure about jumping into the River Thames. He even told a friend he was nervous. But soon after, he decided to jump. Around 6:52 p.m., he was seen jumping into the water, and he briefly resurfaced. Unfortunately, he didn’t make it back to the riverbank.
There were over 200 people at Port Meadow that evening. It wasn’t immediately noticed that Wesley had disappeared, and it took about 40 minutes before emergency services were called. Eventually, rescuers found Wesley and brought him out of the water around 8:10 p.m. Paramedics quickly started CPR and took him to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital. Sadly, he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
An inquest, a kind of investigation, looked into the events surrounding Wesley’s death. The coroner, Nicholas Graham, said that Wesley’s passing was an accidental drowning. The medical examiner also shared that no alcohol or drugs were found in Wesley’s system, meaning he was not under any influence. However, Wesley’s family raised questions about this finding, saying they found blood in his lungs.
Wesley was born in Cameroon and came to the UK when he was only four months old. He worked hard at school and was the only student from his year at Watford Grammar School for Boys to go to Oxford. Wesley loved his time at Brasenose College, where his friends called him “future prime minister” because of his big ambitions.
Dr. Simon Smith, a senior teacher at Brasenose College, shared a statement at the inquest. He explained that the college reminds students to celebrate safely. The police also noted that the large, excited crowd that night might have made it hard for people to see everything happening.
Wesley’s family remembers him as a gentle, loving, and caring person. They said Wesley was a dedicated Christian and had a very close bond with his family. Their tribute to Wesley read, “He was happy, kind, and full of big dreams. We loved him dearly and miss him every day.”
The coroner, Mr. Graham, offered his condolences to Wesley’s family and confirmed that there wasn’t enough evidence to change the findings.