Overview

• Valentine Ikechukwu, a 16-year-old Nottingham College student, drowned while swimming with friends at Colwick Country Park on April 30, 2025.
• Emergency services launched a multi-agency operation, recovering his body shortly before 8 pm that evening; the death is not being treated as suspicious.
• His family, supported by specially-trained officers, described him as a 'well-loved son and brother' and requested privacy to grieve.
• Fire chiefs and the National Fire Chiefs Council are urging the government to impose a legal duty on fire services in England to respond to water emergencies, citing over 1,400 accidental drownings in the past five years.
• The tragedy underscores the hidden dangers of open water, particularly during warm weather, as officials stress the need for public awareness and coordinated national water-safety measures.