Jacob W. Anderson, a 19-year-old freshman at the College of Liberal Arts in Minneapolis, was found frozen to death over the weekend on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Anderson was found just east of the Stone Arch Bridge, near the college’s campus. Anderson lived on the campus at Pioner Hall.
Roxane Gehle, a neighbor, told the Star-Tribune that Anderson was a student “that you loved to have around.”
Anderson’s mother Kristi told CBS that he slipped, fell, and hit his head.
A passerby discovered the body on Sunday morning, after it is believed he fell during the night on Saturday or early Sunday.
Chandler Sampson, a friend and former lacrosse teammate, added: “I was in complete shock. I didn’t know what to believe, just a whole variety of emotions. Tears to anger to questioning why this happened to such a great kid.”
Kristi wants the death to serve as a reminder that people shouldn’t walk home alone at the end of the night.
Raymond Duvall, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said in a statement: “We share this grief as a community. Out of this moment of sadness, let’s all make a special effort to watch out for and take care of each other.”
The death comes soon after a University of Minnesota student passed out on her neighbor’s porch and was exposed to the cold overnight. She may have to have one or more limbs removed.
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