Police in Rubanda District are investigating the drowning of a 22-year-old student of Lake Bunyonyi Senior Secondary School, whose body was retrieved from Lake Bunyonyi on Saturday.

The deceased, identified as Amanya Samuel, a Senior Four student at the school located on Bwama Island, reportedly drowned at about 11am on October 3 while attempting to swim between Itambira and Bwama islands.

According to SP Nelson Tumushime, the Kigezi Regional Police spokesperson, preliminary investigations indicate that Amanya had paddled a canoe from Katoma to Itambira Island, where he arrived safely.

However, when he attempted to return, he reportedly discovered that the canoe he had used was missing from the landing site.

He subsequently decided to swim across the lake, apparently believing he could reach the other side, but drowned in the waters between the two islands.

Police Marine officers, with the assistance of local divers, responded to the scene and retrieved the body from the lake.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Tumushime said preliminary findings pointed to drowning as the cause of death, although investigations had been launched to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.

Police expressed condolences to the deceased's family, the school administration and fellow students.

The force also urged parents, guardians, school administrators and community members to caution learners against swimming in the deep waters of Lake Bunyonyi without adult supervision and appropriate safety equipment, particularly life jackets.

The incident has renewed concerns about water safety on Lake Bunyonyi, where canoes are a vital means of transport for communities and students living on the islands.