Body recovered from River Thames confirmed as missing York student Harvey Parker
Police were alerted by the RNLI on Tuesday to reports of a body in the Thames near Embankment, Westminster
Last updated 6th Jan 2022
The Met Police in London have confirmed that a body recovered from the River Thames earlier this week is that of missing York student Harvey Parker.
Mr Parker, who studied at the University of York, was last seen leaving Heaven Nightclub by Charing Cross Railway Station in Westminster at around 02:15 on Friday, 17 December.
Police were alerted by the RNLI shortly before 12pm on Tuesday (4 January) to reports of a body in the Thames near Embankment, Westminster.
Officers from the Met’s Marine Support Unit recovered the body and the death is being treated as unexplained.
Inner West London Coroner's Court has today (6 January 2022) confirmed the body is that of 20-year-old Mr Parker.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy O’Connor, of the Central South Command Unit, said:
“We are providing Harvey’s family with all the available information. We are also asking for media to please respect the family’s privacy at this challenging and difficult time.”
A JustGiving page set up in Harvey's name by his friends and family has raised tens of thousands of pounds for charity.
A statement on the page says:
"We would like to raise funds for people like Harvey: money raised will go to young queer support groups, neurodiverse and gender-diverse young people who would benefit from emotional or mental health support, and help support talented musicians from under-represented communities.
"We want to send our thanks to everyone who can help us to support these causes, as a way to not only celebrate Harvey's life but to keep the memory of our beautiful Harvey alive."