Near-drowning victim identified as MU graduate student

COLUMBIA — A woman who nearly drowned Thursday night in a swimming pool at Tara Apartments on Ashland Road has been identified as 22-year-old Yirui Wei by the MU News Bureau.

Wei, an MU graduate student from China, was transported to University Hospital on Thursday night at about 9:30 in critical condition after firefighters arrived and found her unconscious at the bottom of the pool. Bystanders said she had been under water for about five minutes, according to a release from the Columbia Fire Department.

A hospital spokeswoman said Wei is in serious condition.

Wei was visiting a resident at Tara Apartments and had been swimming for about 45 minutes, according to the Fire Department release.

MU spokeswoman Mary Jo Banken said Wei had just learned how to swim and her friend could not swim.