DAD SAYS TEACHER TRIED TO SAVE 10-YEAR-OLD STUDENT BEFORE BOTH DIED DURING IOWA FIELD TRIP

A 10-year-old boy and his 24-year-old teacher died after a tragic water emergency during a school field trip in Iowa, with the boy’s father saying the teacher tried to save his son before both were lost in the water.

Ahmed Osman, a fifth-grade student at Borlaug Elementary School, and his teacher, Hannah Jorgensen, 24, died during a School of the Wild field trip at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area on September 22.

The two were later recovered from the Coralville Reservoir near the spillway. Authorities continue to investigate what happened.

A FIELD TRIP TURNS TRAGIC

The students were taking part in an outdoor education program organized through the University of Iowa when the emergency unfolded.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 12:10 p.m. reporting people in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway.

Emergency crews responded immediately.

At around 12:43 p.m., responders recovered an adult from the water. She was later identified as Hannah Jorgensen, a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary and a resident of Tiffin, Iowa.

Jorgensen was pronounced dead at the scene.

A child was still missing.

SEARCH FOR AHMED CONTINUED INTO THE NEXT DAY

Rescue crews searched the reservoir throughout Tuesday afternoon and evening for Ahmed.

The search was eventually suspended overnight before resuming the following morning.

At approximately 1:24 p.m. on September 23, responders recovered Ahmed’s body from the water.

He was 10 years old.

The discovery devastated his family and the Borlaug Elementary community.

Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Osman, told the New York Times that his son had fallen into the water and that Jorgensen tried to save him.

That account has been reported by other outlets, but authorities have not publicly released a detailed reconstruction of how the two entered the water. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“WE DIDN’T BELIEVE HE WOULD LEAVE US THIS SOON”

Mohamed Osman said his son dreamed of becoming either a doctor or a soccer player.

“He was a wonderful kid,” his father said while speaking about the devastating loss, according to the USA Today network report.

The family had expected Ahmed to have many more years ahead of him.

Instead, a school field trip ended with his death and the death of one of his teachers.

HANNAH JORGENSEN REMEMBERED BY HER SCHOOL COMMUNITY

Jorgensen, 24, was a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary.

Her death alongside one of her students has left colleagues, students and families struggling to process the tragedy.

The Iowa City Community School District described both Jorgensen and Ahmed as “deeply valued members of our school district community.”

The district said its thoughts were with their families, Jorgensen’s colleagues and students, and Ahmed’s classmates and friends.

Counselors and additional support staff have been made available to students and employees as the school community grieves.

SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS SUSPENDED

Following the deaths, the Iowa City Community School District canceled future School of the Wild field trips for the foreseeable future.

The University of Iowa also suspended its School of the Wild programming while officials work to understand what happened.

The program provides elementary and middle school students with outdoor education and hands-on experiences in nature.

More than one agency assisted in the response, including the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, local fire departments and emergency medical crews.

INVESTIGATION REMAINS OPEN

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.

Officials have confirmed that the two victims died after entering the water, but they have not publicly explained exactly what caused the incident or why the two ended up in the reservoir.

That means the account that Jorgensen entered the water while attempting to save Ahmed remains a statement from Ahmed’s father, rather than an officially established sequence of events.

For now, the Iowa City community is mourning two lives lost during what was supposed to be an educational day outdoors.

Ahmed was only 10.

Jorgensen was 24 and had been teaching the children entrusted to her care.

The tragedy has left their families, classmates and colleagues facing a loss that began with an ordinary school field trip and ended with two lives being lost in the water.