Iowa Teacher and Student Die During School Field Trip
A fifth-grade teacher and a 10-year-old student died following an incident at Lake Macbride State Park.
A fifth-grade teacher and a 10-year-old student died Tuesday after an incident at Lake Macbride State Park in Iowa during a school field trip. Authorities identified the victims as Hannah Jorgensen, 24, of Tiffin, and Ahmed Osman, 10, of Iowa City.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies responded to a call about people in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway shortly after noon. First responders recovered an adult from the water at approximately 12:43 p.m., who was pronounced dead at the scene. A search for a missing juvenile was suspended overnight and resumed Wednesday. The juvenile was recovered from the water at 1:24 p.m.
Jorgensen was a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary, and Osman was a fifth-grade student at the same school, according to the Iowa City Community School District. The field trip was part of the school's "School of the Wild" program.
The school district expressed its grief, stating in a release that "Hannah and Ahmed were deeply valued members of our school district community, and their loss is being felt throughout Borlaug and across our district." Counselors and support personnel were made available at Borlaug Elementary.
According to a social media post from Garner Elementary, where Jorgensen had previously worked as a paraeducator and completed her teaching practicum and student teaching, she was remembered for her "calm presence, willingness to go above and beyond, and love for all students."
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds offered her condolences, stating, "This unimaginable loss touches the entire Borlaug Elementary community and Iowa City School District. Please know that Iowans across our state are standing with you in the difficult days ahead."
Multiple agencies, including the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, local fire departments, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, assisted in the search and recovery operation. The sheriff's office confirmed that the incident remains under investigation.