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A fifth-grade teacher and a 10-year-old student are dead after drowning during a field trip at Lake Macbride in Iowa.
The victims were identified Wednesday as Hannah Jorgensen, a 24-year-old Borlaug Elementary School teacher, and Ahmed Osman, a 10-year-old fifth-grade student. Both were recovered from the Coralville Reservoir near the Lake Macbride spillway, between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids.
The two were participating in a fifth-grade School of the Wild field trip Tuesday at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area, according to the Iowa City Community School District. The program gives students hands-on outdoor education and experiences in nature through the University of Iowa’s College of Education.
Deputies were called to Lake Macbride State Park around 12:10 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report of people in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office said.
First responders recovered Jorgensen from the reservoir at 12:43 p.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
An extensive search was then launched for Osman, who remained missing in the water. Crews searched through Tuesday evening before suspending recovery efforts overnight.
The search resumed Wednesday, and authorities recovered Osman's body from the water at about 1:24 p.m., the sheriff's office said.
Authorities have not said what caused Jorgensen and Osman to enter the water. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
The Iowa City Community School District released a statement on the incident, according to Radio Iowa, which reads: “Hannah and Ahmed were deeply valued members of our school district community, and their loss is being felt throughout Borlaug and across our district. Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, as well as Hannah’s colleagues and students, Ahmed’s classmates and friends, and everyone who knew and cared for them.”
Borlaug Elementary School officials addressed the loss in their own Facebook post, thanking the community “for the incredible outpouring of support we have received.”
“Our building is hurting right now, and so are our hearts. But knowing that you are all here for us, standing beside us, checking in, and, lifting us up. It means more than we can put into words,” the post read.
Counselors and additional support staff are available to students and employees at Borlaug Elementary, the district said.
The Iowa City Community School District has canceled all School of the Wild field trips for the foreseeable future. The district also canceled its regularly scheduled school board meeting Tuesday night following the incident and said it would continue providing support to students and staff affected by the deaths.
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