'Remarkable' Oxford student, 21, drowns in year abroad tragedy in Guadeloupe

Oxford University pupil Antonio Gato, 21, had travelled to the Caribbean land of Guadeloupe for his twelvemonth overseas erstwhile helium tragically died portion swimming astatine a quality spot

A "remarkable" Oxford University pupil has tragically died successful a suspected drowning during his twelvemonth overseas successful Guadeloupe.

Antonio Gato, 21, was studying French and Spanish astatine St Catherine's College and had travelled to the Caribbean island, which is an overseas portion of France, for a year. The third-year student, from Hull, East Yorkshire, arrived connected the land astatine the opening of past month.

He is understood to person gone swimming successful the oversea astatine a well-known quality spot erstwhile helium abruptly went missing. A hunt operation, involving the coastguard, constabulary and occurrence crews, was launched successful the country of Malendure formation successful Bouillante.

Sadly, connected October 18 his assemblage was recovered successful the water, 25 metres from the beach. His household are understood to person travelled to Guadeloupe aft his tragic death. The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages astatine Oxford University said it was "deeply saddened" to stock the quality of his death.

The assemblage described the pupil arsenic "an highly lukewarm and affable individual" who was "very good liked" by everyone who knew him. The assemblage said successful a connection shared connected October 31: "The Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages is profoundly saddened to stock the quality of the decease of Antonio Gato, 3rd twelvemonth pupil of French and Spanish astatine St Catherine's College, connected Friday 18th October. Antonio was connected his twelvemonth overseas successful Guadaloupe.

"Antonio was known to and precise good liked by each members of the Faculty who knew him - and determination were many. His tutors, teachers and chap students spoke highly of him arsenic a precise agleam and intellectually engaged subordinate of the Faculty, who took his learning of French and Spanish precise seriously, and arsenic an highly lukewarm and affable individual. Members of unit wrong the Faculty offices besides knew and admired Antonio, speaking to him often earlier and aft classes. All are greatly saddened by his loss."

Faculty Board Chair, Prof Jonathan Thacker, offered his and the full Faculty's condolences to Antonio's household and friends unneurotic with the assemblage astatine St Catherine's College, saying: "Although I did not person the pleasance of teaching Antonio personally successful his 2 years successful the Faculty learning French and Spanish, I person spoken to galore unit and students successful the past fewer days who knew and loved him and are devastated astatine his death. Antonio volition beryllium remembered successful the 2 sub-faculties to which helium belonged, French and Spanish, arsenic a good pupil and a fantastic idiosyncratic who was taken from america excessively soon."

In a abstracted statement, St Catherine's College said Antonio was President of the College Ethnic Minorities Society past twelvemonth - and was shortlisted nationally for the apical 10 Undergraduate of the Year Awards by Rolls Royce. Pro-Master Professor Bart van Es said: "The full assemblage of St Catherine's was shocked and profoundly saddened astatine the quality of Antonio's death. He was a loved and peculiar idiosyncratic and galore students person been successful interaction with their memories of him. As Pro-Master, my thoughts are precise overmuch with his household and adjacent friends."

Reflecting connected Antonio, Dr Jessica Goodman, Director of Studies successful Modern Languages said: "Antonio was a singular student. We knew helium was thing peculiar astatine his interview, and helium continued to marque a immense content connected everyone who came into interaction with him from past on. Immensely focused and hardworking, helium was besides generous with his insights and eternally curious, taking an evident delight successful each areas of his studies.

"His positivity was infectious, and was accompanied by a steely determination to bash his implicit best: helium would doubtless person gone connected to bash large things. He is simply a immense nonaccomplishment to each of us, leaving a large spread successful our assemblage astatine Catz and successful Modern Languages successful particular. We volition miss him enormously, and widen our deepest sympathies to his household and friends."

The assemblage besides shared a reflection by Antonio connected his acquisition of joining Oxford University, which helium antecedently wrote for The Oxford African and Caribbean Society successful his relation arsenic PR Officer. Speaking to his chap students, helium said:

"Starting uni exposed maine to the magic of archetypal times. The archetypal steps into independence, the archetypal friendships that consciousness similar family, and the archetypal encounters with caller experiences. These moments present clasp a peculiar spot successful my heart. No substance however challenging the travel whitethorn become, they service arsenic a reminder of the magic that beingness has to connection overall.

"So, savour these moments. Do it all. Embrace the unknown, due to the fact that wrong it lies the imaginable for bonzer friendships, unexpected opportunities, and a beingness filled with the benignant of magic that lone 'first times' tin bring."