A UF student died Thursday after his friends found him unconscious in a swimming pool.
Remal R. Patel, a 19-year-old UF student from Orlando, was at a pool at Campus Club apartments with his friends when they noticed he did not surface for a while, said Gainesville Police Department Lt. Lonnie Scott.
Patel's friends removed him from the pool and tried to resuscitate him, Scott said. When they couldn't revive him, Patel was transported to Shands at UF.
Scott said Patel died at Shands around 2 p.m. Thursday. The cause of death could not be confirmed by press time.
Steve Orlando, UF spokesman, said Patel was a second-year accounting major.
Neda Ahson, a political science sophomore, said she met Patel their freshman year. She said Patel was a hard worker and "a gentleman."
"He was so easy to talk to," Ahson said.
Orlando said this is the fourth student death since the start of the academic year. He said it's unusual to see so many student deaths in such a short period of time.
"It's just really sad," he said.
Plans for a memorial service could not be confirmed by press time.
