A fourth-year St. Thomas University student, Aranyam Bora, drowned at the Mactaquac headpond on Wednesday afternoon.
Keswick RCMP and members of the Keswick and Upper Keswick fire departments used boats to search for the student that evening, according to a CBC article. The search was put on hold for the night and resumed Thursday morning, where RCMP recovered the body.
STU president Dawn Russell released a statement Friday morning withholding the name of the student until the family could be confirmed contacted.
“Our condolences go to the student’s family and his friends in our STU and Fredericton communities. I will be reaching out to his family to express our sympathy at the appropriate time,” said the statement.
A second statement was released by STU on Saturday morning identifying the student.
“I have been in contact with his family to express condolences on behalf of our community on the passing of Ary.”
Bora was a student from India majoring in political science and international relations according to a new CBC article published on Saturday. CBC also said Bora was cliff-diving at the time of the accident and an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Russell said the STU student lounge in James Dunn Hall will offer drop-in spaces for students to gather on Saturday and Monday, from noon to 4 p.m. A Zoom session will also be held on Saturday at noon for those not in Fredericton. The chapel in Holy Cross is also open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for private prayer.
