Facebook A Cal Poly student, identified as business administration junior Matt Yount, died in Sevilla, Spain on Thursday. Yount (center) was studying abroad in southern Spain at the time.

J.J. Jenkins

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Update 3:58 p.m.

An email from Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong and Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Humphrey called Yount’s death “an apparent swimming accident” during his trip to Spain as part of a CEA Global Education study abroad trip.

Cal Poly will host a memorial service for Yount after students return from Thanksgiving break, according to the email.

“Our hearts go out to Matt’s family, teammates, and friends,” Armstrong and Humphrey wrote. “We have lost a talented student, a determined athlete, and a highly regarded member of the Cal Poly family.”

Original Post

Matt Yount, a business administration junior and a member of the Cal Poly golf team, died Thursday in Spain, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said Friday morning.

A report from Diario de Sevilla, a newspaper in Sevilla, Spain, states an American student — identified as Matthew R. Y. — jumped from a bridge and drowned in the Guadalquivir River at approximately 3:30 a.m. on Nov. 21.

The article goes on to say another student jumped with Yount but survived the strong currents and cold water before quickly summoning authorities to search for Yount. His body was recovered several hours later, according to the article.

The State Department declined to comment on circumstances surrounding Yount’s death, but said its U.S. embassy in Madrid is in contact with his family.

Friends turned to Twitter and Yount’s Facebook page Thursday to express their grief.

“You were an awesome golfer, teammate and most of all, an amazing friend,” one post read. “Your smiles were timeless. Smile over us. I’ll never forget you.”

Sean McMinn contributed to this report.