Irish student dies following kayaking accident in the US

Tragic news.

An Irish student has passed away after a kayaking accident in the United States at the weekend. Originally from Dublin, Ella Mills died on Sunday (17 September) following the incident on the Potomac River near Washington D.C. According to The Washington Post, the accident occurred when Ella's kayak turned over and her gear became caught on either a rock or debris in the river.

The kayaking accident occurred on the Potomac River.

The paper reports that the force of the water then kept the student's head submerged. Ella was a student at New York's Columbia University. The kayaking accident took place during a trip with the Columbia University Whitewater Kayaking Club. The English Studies student had only just arrived at the US university earlier in September. This was as a third-year student as part of Columbia's Dual BA Program with Trinity College Dublin. Columbia University dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch said the following about Ella in a statement about her passing:

"Ella had a love for learning, was intellectually curious, and passionate about literature—eager to soak in new ways of looking at literature and viewing the world as a literary scholar. "She was an active member of the Trinity College Dublin community as part of the Trinity College Dublin drama society, the DU Players, the Trinity College Dublin Tennis Club, and the Philosophical Society, among many others. "She is survived by her loving parents, brother and sister. Our thoughts and compassion are with them at this very difficult time."

Trinity College Dublin also issued the following statement about Ella's death:

"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 BA programme with Trinity. Her family, friends and classmates are in our minds at this difficult time. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a h-anam."

In a statement to JOE, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said the department is "aware of this tragic incident" and is "providing support and assistance to the family". Read more:

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