Police on Monday said the death of a British man found in Venice lagoon at the weekend was probably an accident, although they had not ruled out suicide at this stage of their investigation.
They are focusing on the hypothesis that Richard Raynor, 23, may have fallen into the water on the evening of 13 February while walking along a parapet on Ponte della Liberta to avoid traffic as he made his way back to his hotel in the Mestre area of the city.
The bridge, which connects Venice to the mainland, is heavily trafficked and particularly risky for pedestrians at night, police said.
Raynor's cell phone, keys and wallet were found under a guardrail on the bridge, and investigators said they may have fallen from the man's pockets as he fell from the parapet.
Another hypothesis is that Raynor may have removed the objects himself before committing suicide, although his family have dismissed the idea.
Raynor, from Doncaster, had been in Venice with girlfriend Katie Robinson, 22, for a Valentine's Day break.
The pair had dinner and visited bars in Campo Santa Margarita before walking to Piazzale Roma to get a bus back to their hotel.
Discovering the bus had already left, the couple argued about whether to take a taxi.
Robinson said she lost sight of Raynor at midnight while hailing a cab and returned to the hotel alone.
Raynor rang his girlfriend to say he would also get a taxi back to the hotel, but later sent a text message to say he was lost.
He did not reply when Robinson tried to call him back.
Robinson, who has a three-year-old child from a previous relationship, took her return flight back to the UK hoping Raynor would turn up at the airport.
His body was found under the bridge near Piazzale Roma on Sunday.
Results from an autopsy at the Umberto I Hospital in Mestre are expected Monday evening.
The families of the couple issued a statement Monday afternoon thanking Venice police and British consul staff in the city for their support.
