20-Year-Old Foothill High Graduate Dies Swimming in Spain

A 20-year-old man from Pleasanton died on Thursday after jumping off of a bridge to swim in the river Guadalquivir in Spain. Matthew Yount, who attended St. Raymond Catholic School in Dublin and graduated from Foothill High School in Pleasanton in 2011, had been a junior at Cal Poly when he died in Seville, Spain on Nov. 21.

Yount had been studying abroad when the accident occurred, according to officials at the university. An article posted in the Spanish newspaper, Dario De Sevilla, says police are continuing to investigate the drowning and why Yount never resurfaced after he and another other friend jumped off of the San Telmo Bridge into the chilly 45-degree river waters. The article reported that three students had been out drinking when two of the youth jumped into the river to swim. The article says a witness, who saw the men jump, called for the police. Yount's body was discovered by divers several hours later.

The San Telmo bridge, built in 1931, is 26-feet high, according to a report in the New York Times.

Yount was on the golf team at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and teammates who played in the Cal Poly Golf Fundraiser Tournament over the weekend wore light blue ribbons with the initials "M.Y." in honor of Yount. 

On Nov. 22, the Cal Poly SLO Mens and Womens Golf Team posted on their page: 

Our Cal Poly Golf Family is truly saddened because yesterday we lost of one of our own, Matt Yount. Matt has definitely made a positive impact on all of his teammates and friends. That impact will last forever. We ask that you please keep the Yount family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.
According to Legacy.com, services will be held locally for Yount on Nov. 30  at 10 a.m. in Dublin at the St. Raymond Church. The International Center, where Yount was studying abroad, will be holding memorial services in Spain on Nov. 26, according to a post on their Facebook page.

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