A high-school rugby team visiting from England has cut its tour short after a 17-year-old player drowned while swimming in Shawnigan Lake Sunday evening.
Jamal Ottun was described as a popular and talented Grade 12 student who attended Wallington County Grammar School in a borough south of London.
Jamal’s team was on the second day of its B.C. tour and staying at Shawnigan Lake School. He was one of several players and coaches who had gone for a swim in the lake when he suddenly disappeared. About 4:50 p.m., Shawnigan Lake RCMP got a call that a teen was missing in the water.
Mounties, B.C. Ambulance paramedics and Shawnigan Lake Fire were at the scene within minutes, said detachment commander Sgt. Scott Stephen.
A firefighter with dive training quickly located the teen’s body about four metres under water.
Jamal was brought to a dock, where paramedics worked for about 40 minutes to revive him. The teen was pronounced dead.
It’s unclear how Jamal drowned, as he was described as a strong swimmer and was in the water with many of his teammates.
In a statement, Jonathan Wilden, headmaster at Jamal’s school, said the teen “was a very generous individual, always looking for the best in people and wanting to help them achieve great things.”
Wilden said Jamal was a keen sportsman who excelled at rugby, track and field and other sports.
“The short time that he did spend on this trip was characterized by tremendous fun, as demonstrated by the photographs that he had already shared with family and friends,” Wilden said in the statement.
Wilden said the school’s thoughts are with Jamal’s family and also with the staff and students at Shawnigan Lake School.
“The tour has now been curtailed and the students and staff will be returning to the U.K. shortly,” Wilden said. “This tragic event has left a huge hole in the WCGS community, and this is keenly felt by all staff, students and others who have come into contact with Jamal.”
Friends posted on Facebook that they are organizing a memorial for Jamal on Thursday.
David Robertson, headmaster at Shawnigan Lake School, released a statement on Monday offering the school’s condolences. “Obviously, the group is in shock and they have made arrangements to curtail their tour and return home. Our deepest condolences are with them and the family.”
Police believe the death was accidental. The B.C. Coroners Service is leading the investigation.
