What was supposed to be a celebratory swim ended in tragedy for a first-year student of the University of Technology last Friday.

The student, identified as Ricardo Wilson, had reportedly gone for a swim at the institution's pool after completing his final exam. It is reported that the student wanted to celebrate the end of the school year by attending a pool party.

Students from the institution told THE WEEKEND STAR that Wilson, who was enrolled in the building and land surveying course at the institution, got into difficulties in the pool and drowned.

excellent swimmer

Wilson's relatives contacted THE WEEKEND STAR from Canada and explained that the youngster, who had just turned 20, was an excellent swimmer. They said he had just completed his five exams and was planning to return home to Portland for the summer holidays.

His cousin, Natasha Skyers, told THE WEEKEND STAR, "The family is very distraught. He can swim as good as a fish. I don't understand how he drowned." She also told THE WEEKEND STAR that an autopsy conducted on the youngster's body said he died from unknown causes.

She continued, "He just went into the pool and never came back out. He went there with about two or three friends. They had to pull him out of the pool and perform CPR on him."

She said the entire family was trying to cope with the tragedy, including Wilson's grandmother who raised him. "My grandmother had to be hospitalised, she was grief stricken and my mom is going insane."

Skyers said the family was grateful for the help and support of friends and relatives but said the family was still uneasy about Wilson's strange and untimely death.

Efforts to contact the University's Director of Advancement were unsuccesful, as repeated calls to his cellular phone went unanswered and messages left were not returned.