Kentish Express Ashford & District
River tragedy
Missing security guard found in water near park after police helicopter search Friends remember ‘bright and kind’ 33-year-old who planned on joining the army
An ambitious 33-year-old was found dead in the River Stour following a search involving a police helicopter.
Yugal Limbu was discovered near Bowens Field close to Victoria Park at about 4.30pm on Monday - just hours after officers issued a public appeal to find him.
Mr Limbu arrived in England with his parents in 2016 and worked as a town centre security guard.
His family describe him as being “a bright and kind man, who had the ambition to make something of himself”.
The Oak Tree Road, South Ashford, resident had been returning from his job on Saturday night when he went missing.
CCTV footage showed the man - who had aspirations of joining the British Army - walking past the Hubert Fountain in Victoria Park at 1.30am.
After this he wasn’t seen until his recovery from the River Stour on Monday.
A friend of his family recounted the night he went missing, saying: “He didn’t arrive at home, and so his family searched around the area.
“When that wasn’t successful they reported it to the police, who found him in the river.”
Many Ashford residents noted a late night search by a police helicopter on Sunday night, however this proved fruitless.
In a statement released on Tuesday morning, police said: “The death is not being treated as suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner.”
On the Kentish Express Facebook page, Ck Limbu wrote: “I hope the case will be properly investigated and necessary steps will be taken as these kind of cases seems to be growing... it’s an absolute tragedy for us in the Nepalese community and also for all the residents of Ashford.”
Yugal Limbu leaves behind his mother and father, aged 59 and 64 respectively, a brother who lives in Nepal and a sister, currently based in Hong Kong.