A 22-year-old graduate student from Wisconsin, who went missing after a night out with friends, tragically died due to accidental drowning in the Mississippi River, according to a report released by the local medical examiner on Wednesday. Eliotte Heinz, who was pursuing a degree in mental health counseling at Viterbo College, disappeared on July 20, sparking a frantic search that lasted four days.
Heinz was last seen on surveillance footage near the waterfront at approximately 3:20 a.m., about 50 minutes after she left Bronco’s Bar in downtown La Crosse. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance left both law enforcement and her devastated parents puzzled, with her family expressing their desperate attempts to remain hopeful during the search.
The report from the La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office indicated that Heinz had alcohol in her system at the time of her death, but there were no traces of drugs. The autopsy also revealed no significant signs of trauma. The student’s blood-alcohol level was recorded at 0.193, which is more than double the state’s legal limit for driving.
Heinz’s body was later discovered in the river near Brownsville, Minnesota. There were no apparent indications of foul play involved in her death. The tragic news of her passing left her family and friends in deep sorrow, with her family stating in July, “Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning. We love you, Eliotte.”
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers that can arise from excessive alcohol consumption, particularly for young adults. It underscores the importance of safety measures and precautions when out at night, especially when alcohol is involved.