An Iowa school is in mourning following the death of one of its beloved teachers and a fifth-grade student after a horrific incident.
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The teacher and student died during a visit to the Macbride Nature Recreation Area this past Tuesday (September 22). Authorities said both ended up in the Coralville Reservoir near the Lake Macbride spillway.
Teacher & Student Die During School Field Trip
The teacher was identified as 24-year-old Hannah Jorgensen, a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary School in Iowa. She was recovered from the Coralville Reservoir and pronounced dead at the scene. The following day, the body of 10-year-old Ahmed Osman was recovered from the same reservoir.
The two victims had been participating in a fifth-grade "School of the Wild" field trip on September 22, according to the Iowa City Community School District.
In a statement posted on social media, the school district paid tribute to the two members of its community.
"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."
Before she taught at Borlaug, Jorgensen worked at Garner Elementary School. Following the news of her death, Garner paid tribute to the late teacher, praising her willingness to go above and beyond.
"Before 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 (via the New York Post).
"Hannah's calm presence, willingness to go above and beyond, and love for all students made Hannah an amazing person and educator."
It remains unclear how Jorgensen and Osman ended up in the reservoir. Their deaths remain under investigation.
