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

A 10-year-old boy and his fifth-grade teacher died during a school field trip in Iowa this week, leaving two families and an entire school community grieving.

The child, Ahmed Osman, 10, of Iowa City, and his teacher, Hannah Jorgensen, 24, of Tiffin, died after a water emergency at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area near the Coralville Reservoir spillway on September 22, 2026.

According to Ahmed’s father, Mohamed Osman, his son fell into the water during the field trip and Jorgensen attempted to save him. Both ultimately died.

The account was shared by Ahmed’s father in an interview with The New York Times and reported by PEOPLE. Authorities, however, have not publicly confirmed exactly how the two entered the water or provided an official reconstruction of what happened.

A FIELD TRIP TURNS INTO A TRAGEDY

Ahmed was a fifth-grade student at Borlaug Elementary School in Iowa City. Jorgensen was a fifth-grade teacher at the same school.

The pair were at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area as part of the school’s fifth-grade School of the Wild field trip.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office received a call at approximately 12:10 p.m. on September 22 reporting people in the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway.

Emergency responders arrived and recovered an adult from the water at about 12:43 p.m.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and was later identified as Hannah Jorgensen.

Search teams continued looking for the child throughout the afternoon and evening before recovery efforts were suspended overnight.

AHMED’S BODY RECOVERED THE FOLLOWING DAY

The search resumed the next morning.

At approximately 1:24 p.m. on September 23, authorities and assisting first responders recovered a juvenile from the water.

He was identified as Ahmed Osman, 10, of Iowa City.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said the incident remained under investigation and that no further details were immediately available.

More than a dozen agencies assisted with the response, including the Johnson County Metro Dive Team, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State Patrol, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and medical responders.

FATHER SAYS TEACHER TRIED TO SAVE HIS SON

As Ahmed’s family struggled to process the loss, his father shared an account of what he believes happened.

Mohamed Osman told The New York Times that Ahmed had wandered toward the lake and fallen into the water.

He said Hannah Jorgensen then tried to save the boy.

According to the father’s account, neither Ahmed nor Jorgensen survived.

The family has remembered Jorgensen for her actions, with the teacher being described as someone who attempted to help her student in the emergency.

However, investigators have not publicly confirmed this sequence of events.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said on September 25 that investigators were continuing to conduct interviews and gather information as part of a thorough investigation. The office said it had no additional details to release at that time.

TWO LIVES LOST

The Iowa City Community School District confirmed the deaths of both Jorgensen and Ahmed in a statement released after the tragedy.

The district described them as deeply valued members of the Borlaug Elementary community and said their loss would be felt throughout the school district.

Jorgensen was only 24 years old.

Ahmed was 10.

They had gone to the nature area as teacher and student, taking part in an outdoor educational program designed to give fifth graders hands-on experiences with nature.

Instead, the trip ended with two deaths.

A COMMUNITY MOURNS

A vigil was held Thursday evening, September 24, as members of the community gathered to remember Ahmed and Jorgensen.

PEOPLE reported that hundreds of people gathered outside Ahmed’s mother’s workplace in Iowa City to offer condolences to the family.

For Ahmed’s father, the loss has been impossible to comprehend.

He told The New York Times that he never believed his son would leave the family so soon and spoke of the many dreams the boy had ahead of him.

The school district has also offered support to students, teachers and families affected by the tragedy.

The district said the loss extended far beyond two individuals, affecting classmates, colleagues, friends and the wider community.

INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Authorities have not released a detailed explanation of what caused Ahmed and Jorgensen to enter the water.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said on September 25 that investigators were continuing interviews and gathering information.

Officials have asked the public and media to respect the families’ privacy while the investigation continues.

For now, Ahmed is remembered by his family as a 10-year-old boy whose life ended far too soon, while Hannah is being mourned by her students, colleagues, family and friends.

A school field trip that began as an opportunity for children to learn outdoors ended in an unimaginable tragedy — leaving two families grieving and a community searching for answers.