CLOSE

TeNiya Jones, 19, a student at the University of Kentucky, has disappeared
recently swimming on a beach in Tel Aviv, Israel. Jones is from Fort Myers, Florida.
Kinfay Moroti, news-press.com

The body of a student of the University of Kentucky was found Monday near the Mediterranean Sea in Israel after it disappeared during a night swim, according to the nation's media.

TeNiya Jones, 19, of Fort Myers, Fla., Was in Tel Aviv for the weekend during a seven-week exchange trip to Jordan. Saturday night, she disappeared while swimming near the beach of Tel Aviv.

Family members tell that she drowned.

Context: A second-year student disappearing while swimming at the Tel Aviv beach in Israel

disappeared near the suburbs of Bat Yam after entering the Water with two friends and get caught in a current, according to the Times of Israel.

Jones' mother, Tosha Thomas-Mora, said she had texted her daughter Saturday at 3:30 pm. In Israel, it was 22:30. and her daughter told her that she was "for the night."

Less than eight hours later, she was notified that her daughter was missing in the study abroad program and the US Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Two of the students went out and rushed to call the authorities, according to a press release from the University of Kentucky.

These friends were a 20-year-old woman from Washington, DC, who also attends the United Kingdom and a 21-year-old man from Illinois who is studying at West Virginia University, said family members at News-Press.

Relationship: The community of Fort Myers prays for a missing student TeNiya Jones

Thomas-Mora says that his daughter knows how to swim.

"This is a decent swimmer," Thomas-Mora told the News-Press. "The farther I knew I was going to stand up and wade to the edge of the water and take pictures."

Jones was studying biology and Islamic studies in the UK, his mother said. She went to Amman in June and was due to return to the United States next week.

"We have been in constant contact with TeNiya's family for the past 48 hours, and we are working to get them to Tel Aviv as soon as possible so that they can make all the necessary decisions," said British President Eli Capilouto in a statement. "One of our dedicated employees will be in Israel to help the family in the coming days.

" We are also in regular contact with our other students who are staying in the Middle East as part of this experiment at l & # 39; abroad. . They are safe and we provide resources to try to understand what they are experiencing.

"We pray that TeNiya's family find the light in this darkness We also pray for the comfort and healing of our other students."

La Presse reports that Thomas-Mora is making arrangements to travel to Tel Aviv this week. His son, Samuel Jones Jr., 22, was shot dead in a double homicide in December. She has another daughter, Naomi Ruth Mora, 3 years old.

CLOSE

Tourists and locals, watch out. It could save your life.
NOAA, USA Today Netowrk

The News-Press report. Thomas Novelly: [email protected], 502-582-4465. Support strong local journalism by registering today: courier-journal.com/tomn.

Read or share this story: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2018/07 / 30 / missing-kentucky -students-body-found-after-drowning-israel / 862374002 /