An Iowa elementary school teacher and a fifth-grade student died during a field trip to a local state park on Tuesday after both ended up in the reservoir, according to authorities and school officials.
Hannah Jorgensen, a 24-year-old fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary, was found dead Tuesday afternoon inside the Coralville Reservoir at Lake Macbride State Park. About 25 hours later, dive teams recovered the body of 10-year-old student Ahmed Osman in the same body of water.
The pair had been visiting the park during a “School of the Wild” field trip Tuesday at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area, the Iowa City Community School District told Fox News.
“Hannah and Ahmed were so much more than members of our school community,” the district wrote in a statement on Facebook.
“Their absence will be felt in the classrooms and hallways of Borlaug, in the lives of those who loved them, and throughout our entire school district community.”
The district is offering support and counseling at Borlaug Elementary for those in need.
“In the difficult days ahead, we will hold one another close and continue to surround the Borlaug community with love, care, and support,” the district added.
“We will remember Hannah. We will remember Ahmed. And we will carry their memory with us.”
A massive search-and-recovery task force — including the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, local fire departments, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, State Patrol, the US Army Corps of Engineers, and medical crews — swarmed the area to help find the missing student and teacher, authorities said.
It’s not immediately clear how the pair ended up in the water.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds offered her condolences to the elementary school’s students and staff.
“This unimaginable loss touches the entire Borlaug Elementary community and Iowa City School District,” Reynolds said in a statement.
“Please know that Iowans across our state are standing with you in the difficult days ahead.”
Before she was at Borlaug Elementary, Jorgensen taught at Garner Elementary located nearby in North Liberty.
“Prior to her time at Borlaug, Hannah was a beloved member of the Garner staff, serving as a paraeducator for multiple school years, as well as completing both her practicum and student teaching experiences,” Garner Elementary said on social media.
“Hannah’s calm presence, willingness to go above and beyond, and love for all students made Hannah an amazing person and educator.”
Osman and Jorgensen’s deaths remain under investigation.
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