A Columbia University exchange student drowned this week when her kayak overturned in the Potomac River.

Ella Mills, who was visiting the Washington, D.C. area with the Columbia University kayaking club, died on Sunday when her kayak overturned. Part of her gear jammed between two rocks and kept her face submerged.

A few of her classmates realized the situation and attempted a rescue, but were unable to dislodge her in time.

Mills, of Dublin, Ireland, arrived in the U.S. this month as part of an exchange program with Columbia.

“Ella had a love for learning, was intellectually curious, and passionate about literature — eager to soak in new ways of looking at literature and viewing the world as a literary scholar,” Columbia Dean Lisa Rosen-Metsch said in a statement.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.