Updated: A young man from York jumped into the River Ouse from a waterfront balcony and drowned.

Police say “a moment of misplaced exuberance” cost the 21-year-old his life yesterday morning.

Witnesses said they saw the man struggle in the water briefly before disappearing from view at about 6.35am.

Underwater search teams from West Yorkshire Police were at the scene for most of the day. A police spokesman confirmed that a body was recovered from the river in the afternoon, but said it was too early to formally identify the person.

It is understood the man had just finished work at a nearby bar and had jumped into the water from a walkway near the City Screen cinema and Revolution Vodka Bar, off Coney Street. Revolution remained closed throughout the day on Sunday.

Police said a man, who was part of a group of friends with the jumper, dived in in a desperate rescue attempt.

However, after getting into difficulties himself, he managed to pull himself out to safety.

Police confirmed the man’s death was not being treated as suspicious.

His family has been informed, but are understood to be out of the country at the moment.

The tragedy comes after three men were arrested after jumping into the river in the centre of York a week earlier.

Police and fire crews, including York’s rescue boat, were called to the same stretch of river by the Pitcher & Piano bar, off Coney Street early last Saturday evening. All three men, who are in their 20s, had got out of the river by the time emergency services arrived.

Inspector Mark Henderson, of the York City Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “York has been a very sombre place today knowing that a young man with everything to live for has paid the ultimate price for a moment of misplaced exuberance.

“It is a tragedy that his parents, family and friends will struggle to come to terms with. I personally do not wish to take away from their heartbreak and grief at this terrible time, however people need to wake up to the fact that rivers in general are extremely dangerous, and the Ouse itself is a particularly treacherous stretch of water.”

He said: “To avoid further tragic outcomes like this one, I urge people to take much greater care and respect the very real dangers that rivers pose.”

David Wade, 29, a freelance photographer from York, said he was close to the Park Inn Hotel when he saw the police diver in the water signal to colleagues at about 5pm yesterday before police officers moved people away from the area.

“I saw the divers and saw the police had cordoned off the area,” he said. He believed they had just found the body.

York Press: The Press - Comment

Another tragedy on city’s river

The River Ouse has been making headlines in the last few days.

First, three men were arrested by police furious at their reckless leap into the water.

A couple of days later, the courageous rescue of a baby whose pram had rolled into the Ouse sent a collective shiver through the York community and brought home the potential for tragedy posed by the river that flows through our city.

Then, as this weekend got under way, came news of an incident, at first thought to have been a mugging, in which a teenager tumbled from a bridge into the water.

It now appears that this may have been no more than a prank; but one that could have had lethal consequences.

Finally, and tragically, a young man appears to have leapt into the river out of high spirits – and paid for it with his life.

North Yorkshire police had to recover the man’s body last night. It was far from the first time they have had to perform this nightmare task, and sadly, it surely will not be the last.

Officers appealed, as they have done so many times before, for people to treat our river with respect. It is picturesque and, especially in hot weather, it may seem an alluring prospect to cool off by diving in.

But if you are ever tempted, try thinking about this young man’s loved ones. It is impossible to imagine how they must be suffering as they struggle to comprehend their terrible loss.