Student hospitalized after near-drowning at UC Berkeley frat house dies of injuries
By Carlos E. Castañeda
A student at the University of California, Berkeley, has died days after being found unresponsive at a frat house pool during a large party last week, police said.
The Berkeley Police Department said the incident happened at the off-campus Alpha Delta Phi fraternity on Prospect Avenue at around 11:30 p.m. Officers and Berkeley Fire Department personnel responded to a report of a drowning at the location and found a 19-year-old man unresponsive outside the pool. Medics performed CPR and rushed him to a hospital in critical condition.
Police said Wednesday that the department has since learned the student had died. The student was not immediately identified and it was unclear when he died. The department added that the investigation does not indicate any foul play.
The student’s official cause of death will be determined by the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family, friends, and the wider campus community,” police said. “The harm felt by this tragic loss is profound.”
The case was also forwarded to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for potential charges against the fraternity’s safety coordinator for allegedly furnishing alcohol to minors.
The party at the Alpha Delta Phi house was estimated to have over 300 people in attendance, and officers observed conditions consistent with overcrowding and heavy alcohol consumption, police said.
The fraternity was issued a public nuisance violation for the loud and unruly gathering, and since it exceeded a 200-person limit, the Fire Department also issued a citation for violating its indoor event permit, and revoked a permit issued for an event the next day.
The national Alpha Delta Phi organization has been contacted for a response to the latest developments.
Following the incident, the fraternity said it was “fully cooperating with the local authorities; our priority is the safety and well-being of all members and guests. As this remains an active investigation, we are unable to provide additional details at this time.”
