Tragic Discovery: Team GB Star's Brother Found Dead in River After Escaping Taxi on Motorway – CCTV Captures Final Moments

A TEAM GB star’s brother was found dead in a river after fleeing a taxi on a motorway following a night out, an inquest heard.

Quality engineer after becoming agitated during his journey home.

Luis was the younger brother of Olympic judo star Lubjana Piovesana, who competed for before representing at the Paris 2024 Games.

His final movements were captured on CCTV before his body was recovered from the River Frome in Bristol three days later.

The inquest at Avon Coroners’ Court heard there was no evidence of third-party involvement in his death.

Luis had been out for dinner and drinks with pals before heading to The Jam Jar music venue in St Anne’s, Bristol, on February 27 last year.

He had consumed magic mushrooms before and during the night, as well as drinking .

Friends said he became agitated in the early hours and arranged an to take him home at 2.55am.

But just four minutes later, Luis rang his girlfriend and left a distressed voicemail claiming the taxi driver was “trying to kidnap him”.

At 3.03am, he called 999 and told an operator he had been drugged and was on the motorway.

At around the same time, a motorist reported a pedestrian walking on one of the motorway lanes.

arrived at 3.19am but could not find Luis.

Detective Inspector Peter Walker told the inquest the taxi driver had told officers he let Luis out near a motorway slipway.

CCTV then picked up Luis at the Eastgate shopping centre, with footage showing his movements in the minutes before he vanished.

The last confirmed sighting was at 3.24am, around 450 metres from sluice gates on the River Frome.

DI Walker described his movements as “erratic” and said it was “clear that Luis was intoxicated” from the footage.

Cops pieced together 12 minutes of CCTV showing Luis, with DI Walker saying there was “nobody else about” during that time.

Luis was reported missing by his partner at 7.37am, triggering a huge search involving police, friends and relatives.

More than 100 officers were previously involved in the frantic hunt, with mounted teams and deployed as loved ones desperately searched for him.

His belongings, including his phone, wallet and bag, were later found discarded at the park, with CCTV showing Luis had left them there.

His body was eventually found by police divers in the River Frome on March 3, 2025.

Dr Peter Harrowing, area coroner for Avon, reached a narrative conclusion at the inquest.

He said: “Luis Piovesana died following immersion in water after entering the River Frome in Bristol some time between February 28 and March 3 2025.

“How he came to the water has not been established.”

A post-mortem examination found his cause of death was immersion in water, with psilocybin and ethanol also recorded.

Luis, who was born in Sutton Coldfield, had moved to Frenchay, Bristol, with his partner in September 2024.

He had a master’s degree in engineering and was described by his family as “deeply loved”.

A family statement read to the inquest said: “Luis had a strong, close relationship with his family including an extensive extended family.

“We last saw him three weeks before his passing, during his sister’s graduation party.

“He also had large friendship groups in both Bristol and Birmingham.

“At his , over 500 people attended – a testament to the deep connections he had built.”

The coroner said: “Despite extensive searches, sadly Luis couldn’t be found until March 3.

“Divers found Luis’s body in the vicinity of the sluice gates at the River Frome in Bristol.”

DI Walker told the hearing it was impossible to establish exactly where or when Luis entered the water.