Tributes have flowed for a “much cherished” Third Level student who died tragically in a kayaking accident in Washington DC.
Trinity College student Ella Mills died following the incident on the Potomac River near Washington DC on Sunday while on a trip with the Columbia University Whitewater Kayaking Club. According to the Montgomery County Fire Department, a piece of Ella’s clothing got caught on a rock and she "became trapped underwater for about 15 to 20 minutes".
First responders said several people tried to pull Ella out of the water but the current was too strong, American News Channel News 4 has reported. Ms Mills had just begun studying at Columbia University as part of a dual BA programme, following her arrival in the US earlier this month.
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The university held a vigil on Monday evening on its campus and it will be providing counselling services to support students following Ella’s tragic death. The university described her as a “literary scholar who loved learning new things.” Columbia University President Minouche Shafik said "words cannot express" how heartbroken she feels for her family and friends.
The Dean of the School of General Studies at Columbia, where Ms Mills had just began her studies, said: "Ella had a love for learning, was intellectually curious, and passionate about literature." Shocked and saddened members of the kayaking community in Washington DC turned up at the river to pay their respects to Ella and lay floral tributes.
Meanwhile, in a statement, a Trinity College Dublin spokesperson said the college community is grieving. "The Trinity College Dublin community is grieving the tragic loss of Ella Mills, an English Studies student who passed away on 17 September 2023. Ella was studying at Columbia University as part of a dual B.A. programme with Trinity," they said.
"Her family, friends and classmates are in our minds at this difficult time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam." Ella’s former secondary school Sutton Park School in Sutton also paid tribute to Ella - “a much cherished past student.”
“It is with great sadness that I write to let you know that our former pupil Ella Mills died tragically in a Kayaking accident on Sunday in Washington DC. Ella was a much cherished past student of Sutton Park School.
“Ella’s Mum Jo-Ann Feely will be known to many of you as Chair of our Board Of Management. Our hearts are broken for Jo-Ann, Ralph and Ella’s two siblings Isabel and Leo who are in Second Year.
“This is a truly tragic time. Words fail us all. Our sympathies and thoughts are with Ella’s family and her large group of friends. There are no further details to share. May she rest in peace,” Ronan Walsh, Head of Sutton Park School wrote in a statement.
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