A teenager has drowned during a Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) Award trip in Powys, writes Robin Eveleigh.

The 18-year-old’s body was recovered from the River Wye at Glasbury yesterday evening following a multi-agency search operation.

It followed reports of a teenager going missing after entering the water close to Glasbury Bridge.

The crossing was closed to traffic for almost four hours while emergency services carried out their search.

Now it has emerged that the victim was part of a group of young people taking part in a DofE Expedition.

A spokesperson for the charity said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a young person has drowned while on a DofE expedition in Powys, Wales.

“Our thoughts are with the young person’s family, together with all those who were taking part. We will do everything we can to support them at this difficult time.

“DofE is liaising closely with the young person’s college and relevant authorities to understand how this tragic incident happened. We are offering our full support."

The spokesperson added that the charity would not be commenting further pending ongoing investigations and out of respect for the teen’s family and friends.

Dyed-Powys Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and the National Police Air Service were involved in the search, with support from members of Longtown Mountain Rescue and Brecon Mountain Rescue.

Investigators were still photographing the scene of the tragedy at 9:30pm last night, focusing on the shingle beach and the river below Glasbury Bridge.

Meanwhile the victim’s friends were being comforted by police officers at Glasbury Scout Hut nearby.

The beach at Glasbury - known locally as The Bont - is a popular spot for families, with shallow waters for paddling and deeper pools for swimming below the bridge.

Although considered by locals as a safe spot to swim, it is the second time in a year that The Bont has been the scene of tragedy. The body of Labour peer Lord David Lipsey was recovered from the waterway on July 1 2025 after he entered the river to swim.