A high school student who had gone missing after jumping into a river was found dead Sunday, close to where he had gone missing.

According to officials, The boy jumped into the Ganggyeongcheon in Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, at around 5:50 p.m., and was swept away. He was found dead three hours later, about 70 meters away from where he had been playing.

A boy who had been playing with him told local police that they were "messing around" when they decided to jump into the water. Police are conducting further investigation into the incident.

Several deaths occur each year at streams, creeks and beaches. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety's April data, 19 people died in similar accidents in 2023, down from 26 in 2022.