Updated 1 pm, Sunday December 31st 2000
There is still no sign of the missing lightweight rower, who is feared to have perished after swimming for shore in a Spanish river, following an accident during a training outing.
The training camp of the Oxford lightweight men's rowing squad was struck by disaster on the morning of Friday December 29th when two boats sank during training on the River Ebro in Amposta, Spain. As the first shell to run into trouble filled with water and sank, most of the crew were rescued quickly, but first-year mathematics MSc student Leo Blockley, from Lincoln College, could not be found, after swimming to shore with another rower, the latter arriving safely.
Rescuers were unable to find Blockley during an intensive search throughout the rest of the day, and as night fell the search had to be called off, but has continued each day since. Leo's parents were informed that he was missing, and it is being assumed that there is a very high probability he has drowned. The Ebro is a wide, mature river where it passes through Amposta, near Tarragona on the north-eastern coast of Spain, just south of Barcelona and Zarragoza.
A second shell was also sunk by the waves, but all the crew-members were rescued safely, although reports suggest as many as ten of the squad in total are being treated for hypothermia. It is thought that the windy conditions whipped up waves able to splash over the sides of the boats, although local coaches have been quick to go on record as considering conditions relatively good. However, rescue helicopters were unable to get airborne and join the search, in the 68-mph winds prevailing.
The OULRC squad races in the annual Men's Lightweight Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge, next to be held on April 1st 2001 in Henley, and will also this year race a Nephthys crew in the recently-established reserves race. The same squad hit the headlines last winter at just this time, when on training camp in the same location, they were arrested after some over-the-top partying in a local restaurant. Then, as now, the papers and press immediately assumed that they were from the more famous heavyweight men's squad, which takes part in the well-known Tideway Boat Race. Contrary to several newspaper reports, the heavyweight squad will not be flying to Amposta next week: their annual training camp will be held on the safer waters of a dammed reservoir a hundred kilometres north-east of Amposta, at Mequinenza.
On Saturday, Oxford University's Director of Sport Jon Roycroft, with OULRC's Senior Treasurer Martin McNally and the University Marshall, Richard Hartley, flew out to Amposta to help the squad, and to start the process of bringing rowers home. Mr. and Mrs. Buckley, Leo's parents, are also flying to the town. Leo did his first degree at Cambridge University, though has not competed in the Boat Race before. It is hoped that as many as possible of the rest of the squad will be able to fly home this weekend.
Sunday update:
This morning Leo is still missing, and the last remaining hopes of finding him alive have long since been abandoned. The Rowing Service was told that all involved in the search for his body now believe the tragedy to be a freak accident, and efforts are continuing to get the squad home as soon as possible, though a lack of flights over the New Year is making this difficult. It is hoped that all will be back by Tuesday 2nd, while the university officials stay on if necessary, to help Mr. and Mrs. Blockley until their son's body is found. Leo's sister has now joined them in Spain. Newspaper vultures are concentrating on the heavyweight men's squad, OUBC, which flies out on the second of January to their own training camp, though on completely different water.