Austin Singletary dies in annual Ohio State lake jumping tradition

Ohio State University student Austin Singletary died after jumping into a freezing lake as part of an annual campus tradition A student has died after jumping into a freezing lake as part of an annual Ohio State University tradition.

Ohio State University student Austin Singletary died after jumping into a freezing lake as part of an annual campus tradition

Ohio State University student Austin Singletary died after jumping into a freezing lake as part of an annual campus tradition

A student has died after jumping into a freezing lake as part of an annual Ohio State University tradition.

Austin Singletary, 22, was pulled from Mirror Lake on the college's Columbus campus after going into cardiac arrest in the early hours of Wednesday morning and died in hospital hours later.

Hundreds of students who were unaware of the tragedy unfolding around them continued to splash around in the lake as many more cheered from the water's edge.

Mr Singletary, a third-year nutrition student, was pulled from the water at around 12.30 on Wednesday morning.

An autopsy will be carried out tomorrow but toxicology tests could take up to six weeks. 

The tradition sees thousands of students jump into Mirror Lake on the Tuesday night before the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Michigan Wolverines football game. Officials believe 10,000 attended the event on Tuesday night.

Ohio State University (OSU) does not sanction the annual lake jump and there are now calls for it to be cancelled following Mr Singletary's death. 

'We are heartbroken over this horrible tragedy,' university president Michael Drake said. 

Mr Singletary's mother was too distraught to speak to reporters. 

The young man's brother wrote on Twitter: 'My brother, Austin, will be remembered as one of the coolest and nicest guys out there. He was my best friend.. I love you and miss you bro.'

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Friend Haley Leavitt tweeted: 'RIP Austin Singletary. You were the sweetest and I honestly couldn't have passed Gen Chem last year w/o you. Rest easy.'

Mr Singletary had been volunteering with elementary school children and his university profile said he was proud to have 'the chance to brighten a child's day'. 

Hundreds of students who were unaware of the tragedy unfolding continued to splash around in the lake as many more cheered from the water's edge

Hundreds of students who were unaware of the tragedy unfolding continued to splash around in the lake as many more cheered from the water's edge

The tradition sees thousands of students jump into Mirror Lake on the Tuesday night before the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Michigan Wolverines football game

The tradition sees thousands of students jump into Mirror Lake on the Tuesday night before the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Michigan Wolverines football game

Ohio State University does not sanction the annual lake jump and there are now calls for it to be cancelled following Mr Singletary's death

Ohio State University does not sanction the annual lake jump and there are now calls for it to be cancelled following Mr Singletary's death

The death occurred despite efforts to make the lake jump safer, and Ohio State leaders now want the bring an end to the event, the university said in a separate statement.

'We must come together and acknowledge that while this is a student-led tradition that has been passed down through the years, we cannot risk another tragedy,' the university said.  

However, students told The Columbus Dispatch that they had no intention of refraining from jumping, even if the event is cancelled by Ohio State. 

Jacob Lester, an 18-year-old freshman, said Tuesday night's jump was his first, but not his last. 

'There’s no way they can stop it,' he said. 'A tradition that runs back that far, you don’t stop it.'

Student Suvanna Ship, 21, said: 'Unless they arrest people, I don’t think people will stop.'

Video from ABC6

Around 10,000 students are thought to have attended Tuesday night's jump at Mirror Lake (pictured)

Around 10,000 students are thought to have attended Tuesday night's jump at Mirror Lake (pictured)

Edwin Rice, 22, said it would be 'lamentable' if the tradition ended but said it would be 'disrespectful' if OSU did not act following Mr Singletary's death.

In recent years OSU has put up fencing around the lake and requires people jumping in the water to get wristbands before the night. 

Each year around a dozen people are treated for minor injuries, but no one has died at the jump before.

People have been known to fall ill after taking part, which could be linked to the number of students urinating in the lake.  

A huge clear-up operation by the university each year reportedly costs $20,000 as workers pick up rubbish left behind by students. 

 

 

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