SOLON, IA. (THECOUNT) — Hannah Jorgensen, 24, of Tiffin, and Ahmed Osman, 10, of Iowa City, have been identified as the teacher and fifth-grade student who died after a school field trip ended in a tragic incident at Lake Macbride in Johnson County, Iowa.
The two were participating in a fifth-grade School of the Wild field trip through the Iowa City Community School District’s Borlaug Elementary School when they ended up in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway Tuesday, September 22, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and school district officials.
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Emergency responders were dispatched at approximately 12:10 p.m. Tuesday after receiving reports of people in the water near the Lake Macbride area. Jorgensen was recovered from the Coralville Reservoir at approximately 12:43 p.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Jorgensen was a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary School. Osman was a fifth-grade student at the same school. The two were among those participating in the outdoor educational field trip at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area.
Following the recovery of Jorgensen, emergency crews launched an extensive search for Osman, who remained missing in the water. Search efforts continued throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening, involving multiple law enforcement agencies, emergency personnel, and dive teams.
Authorities suspended the search overnight before resuming recovery operations Wednesday morning. At approximately 1:24 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, responders recovered Osman’s body from the Coralville Reservoir, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has described the incident as a tragic accident. However, officials have not publicly explained how Jorgensen and Osman entered the water or detailed the events immediately preceding the emergency response.
The investigation remains active. The Johnson County Medical Examiner is involved in the case, and authorities have not released additional information regarding the victims’ official causes or manners of death.
A number of agencies assisted in the search and recovery effort, including the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, University of Iowa Police Department, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, local fire departments, ambulance personnel, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Iowa City Community School District issued a statement following the recovery of both victims, saying Jorgensen and Osman were deeply valued members of the school community. The district expressed condolences to their families and loved ones, as well as Jorgensen’s colleagues and students and Osman’s classmates and friends.
“Hannah and Ahmed were deeply valued members of our school district community, and their loss is being felt throughout Borlaug and across our district,” the district said in its statement.
School officials said counselors and additional support personnel would remain available at Borlaug Elementary in the days following the tragedy. The district also announced that School of the Wild field trips had been canceled for the foreseeable future.
Borlaug Elementary officials separately expressed gratitude for the community’s support, acknowledging the emotional impact of the deaths on students, staff, and families.
The School of the Wild program provides outdoor educational experiences for students through the University of Iowa’s College of Education. The field trip at the Macbride Nature Recreation Area was intended to provide fifth graders with hands-on learning in an outdoor setting.
Lake Macbride is located in Johnson County, north of Iowa City and near the community of Solon. The Coralville Reservoir and Lake Macbride are connected in the area of the Iowa River and spillway. The incident occurred within the Iowa City metropolitan region, approximately 25 miles south of Cedar Rapids.
Google Maps: Lake Macbride State Park, Iowa
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