THE grief-stricken parents of a teenager who died after jumping into the River Thames last night said: “You will never be forgotten.”
Hussain Mohammed, 15, jumped off Donnington Bridge with a female friend at about 8.30pm on Friday.
The girl swam to safety but Hussain was pulled unconscious from the water at 10.20pm and later pronounced dead in hospital.
In a card left for their son and released by police, his parents said: “The emptiness that I am feeling without you and the thought of never being able to see you again is killing me inside.”
It said: “I keep thinking to myself how, how am I going to carry on, the loss of losing you is so hard.
“A part of me had died inside and gone with you.”
It said: “You will never be forgotten and always missed.”
In a separate statement, the family said he was a “happy, cheeky and very popular boy” who was “battling with life’s ups and downs”.
It said the East Oxford youngster “had in his last few days showed many positive changes towards a better path”.
Friends who visited the scene described Oxford Spires Academy pupil Hussain, inset, as “one of the nicest guys in the world”.
Steph Cutler, 16, of Cowley, said: “He had a beautiful personality. All he used to do was make people happy.
“He was rid-iculously popular – we could not go down my street without him knowing someone.”
She said she still had a jacket that he had leant her to keep warm.
“I found his jacket yesterday and just burst into tears. I am going to keep that forever – it is the only piece of him I have left.”
Kasey Wood, 18, of Cutteslowe, said he saw the emergency services when he cycled over the bridge but not realise they were looking for his friend.
He said: “I went to my house and found out that he was dead. It was out of nowhere and I just started crying.
“Hussain was one of the nicest guys in the world.”
Cain Chand, 15, of Cowley, said: “He just made everyone happy – he made me happy. I am devastated.”
More than 40 bouquets of flowers had been left along Donnington Bridge by yesterday afternoon. One read: “Such a tragic loss of such a young lad. You will be dearly missed by many.”
Prayers were also held at Central Oxford Mosque, Manzil Way, in his memory.
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