Missing British Student Found Dead in Lisbon River

​Tragedy has struck a family holiday after 23-year-old British university student Julian Amaral—widely reported across initial bulletins under the surname Amarillo—was found dead in Lisbon’s Tagus River, ending a tense multi-day search.

​Amaral, hailing from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, had been visiting Portugal and staying with relatives when he attended the popular Vida de Jovem all-white boat party on Tuesday, September 1. The maritime event, which drew roughly 200 revellers, set sail from the Alcântara area.

​According to family accounts, the young man vanished near the tail end of the excursion. Around 11:25 p.m., as the vessel prepared to dock back at the Rocha de Conde d’Óbidos terminal, Amaral told his cousin he was heading to the restroom. He never returned, prompting his alarmed cousin to alert crew members once passengers began disembarking.

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​The disappearance triggered an intensive, days-long search operation across the Portuguese capital. Maritime Police, the Lisbon Port Authority, specialist police divers, firefighter units, and a Portuguese Air Force helicopter scoured both the shoreline and the murky waters of the Tagus River. Authorities briefly scaled back active water sweeps over the weekend before the grim discovery was made.

​On Sunday evening, September 6, local law enforcement confirmed that Amaral’s body was pulled from the river near the quay of the Liscont Terminal in Alcântara—just over 400 metres from where he was last seen. Medical personnel formally pronounced him dead at the scene.

​Investigators have transported the student’s body to Lisbon’s National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences to undergo a post-mortem examination. While investigators are reviewing unconfirmed reports and CCTV footage that may point to an accidental fall overboard, an official cause of death has not yet been formally established.

​As loved ones mourn the devastating loss, the Maritime Police’s specialized psychology team has stepped in to provide bereavement support to Amaral’s grieving family.