NOTTINGHAMSHIRE — The devastated family of a 19-year-old student who drowned in a Nottinghamshire lake has made a desperate plea to global tech giants to remove horrific footage of his final moments, which continues to circulate widely across social media platforms.
Panashe Muchenje, a resident of Hucknall who had just completed his engineering studies at Nottingham College, tragically lost his life on May 28 after entering Balderton Lake, near Newark, during a recent UK heatwave. The Zimbabwean national, who was planning to fulfill his dream of joining the Royal Air Force (RAF), had been visiting the local beauty spot with two friends to cool off in the hot weather when tragedy struck.
A mobile phone video captured Muchenje entering the water and quickly getting into severe distress. Instead of fading from view, the graphic footage was uploaded online and has since been widely shared by various social media users and Zimbabwean news media outlets, sparking intense public outrage and unimaginable pain for his grieving relatives.
’Utter Disgrace’
Local officials and community leaders have reacted with fury over the viral spread of the video on platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
Nottinghamshire County Councillor for Balderton, Johno Lee, fiercely condemned the sharing of the clip, labeling the situation a “complete disgrace.”
”A family has suffered the unimaginable loss of a child,” Councillor Lee said. “The thought that grieving relatives and loved ones could be confronted with footage of those final moments appearing online is utterly unacceptable.
”I am calling on social media companies to get a grip of this situation and remove any such footage immediately. These platforms have both the ability and the responsibility to act quickly when harmful content is being shared.”
Lee also urged the public to completely halt the spread of the video, advising users to report it immediately rather than forwarding it. “Right now, the focus should be on supporting the family, respecting their privacy and dignity, and ensuring that this deeply distressing content is taken down as quickly as possible,” he added.
No Suspicious Circumstances
Emergency services confirmed that Muchenje was in the water for approximately 22 minutes before being pulled out by rescue teams. Despite receiving immediate, extensive treatment from paramedics at the scene and being rushed to a nearby hospital, he could not be saved.
Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed that an investigation into the death itself is not underway, as detectives are treating the incident as non-suspicious. A file is currently being prepared for the coroner.
However, Councillor Lee has urged authorities to review the footage and examine the actions of those present at the scene to dispel any online rumors. The Muchenje family has also begged the public to stop speculating about the circumstances of his death, stating that the rampant online commentary has only “added insult to injury.”
Tributes have since poured in from Nottingham College, where faculty and peers remembered Muchenje as a “highly valued” student with a bright future ahead of him.
The Hidden Danger of Open Water
In the wake of the tragedy, emergency services are reiterating severe warnings regarding the hidden dangers of wild swimming, particularly during periods of high temperatures.
Chief Inspector for Newark, Clive Collings, expressed his condolences to the family while highlighting the silent perils of British lakes and rivers, which often trigger cold water shock or trap swimmers with hidden undercurrents.
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”This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are solely with this young man’s family,” Chief Inspector Collings said. “We recognise this will be very upsetting for the local community, and we encourage people to access support if they need it.
”During hot weather, we know people want to keep cool, but open waters are exceptionally dangerous as there is no way of telling what’s beneath the surface.”