Iowa teacher, student identified after dying on school field trip
Lake MacBride State Park (Iowa Department of Natural Resources)
SOLON, Iowa - A teacher and student who died while on a school trip to the MacBride Nature Recreation Area have been identified.
Fifth-grade teacher Hannah Jorgensen, 24, and student Ahmed Osmen, 10, were identified after their bodies were pulled from the water near the Coralville Reservoir spillway in Johnson County, Iowa, this week. Jorgensen taught at Borlaug Elementary, where Ahmed as a student.
Deaths at Iowa state park
What we know:
On Monday, Sept. 22, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office got a call about people in the water at Lake MacBride State Park near the Coralville Reservoir spillway. By 12:43 p.m., responders pulled one person from the reservoir. That person, later identified as Jorgensen of Tiffin, Iowa, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hannah Jorgensen, 24, a teacher at Borlaug Elementary school. (Iowa City Schools)
A search for a second person, a child, continued through the evening before being suspended overnight.
Recovery efforts picked back up the following morning, and on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 1:24 p.m., responders found the child, identified as Ahmed of Iowa City, in the water.
Community response
What they're saying:
The Iowa City school district issued a statement noting that the pair had been on a field trip to the MacBride Nature Recreation Area. The statement reads:
"The Iowa City Community School District is heartbroken to share an update regarding the tragic accident that occurred during a Borlaug Elementary fifth-grade School of the Wild field trip at the MacBride Nature Recreation Area on September 22, 2026.
"Hannah Jorgensen, a fifth-grade teacher at Borlaug Elementary, and Ahmed Osman, a fifth-grade student at Borlaug Elementary, lost their lives as a result of the accident.
"Hannah and Ahmed were deeply valued members of our school district community, and their loss is being felt throughout Borlaug and across our district. Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, as well as Hannah’s colleagues and students, Ahmed’s classmates and friends, and everyone who knew and cared for them."
The school district also explained that counselors will be available for any students who are struggling with the tragic loss in their community, adding, "We know grief looks different for every person, and our focus will be on caring for our students and staff and giving them the time, space, and support they need."
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also put out a statement on the tragedy, saying, "Our hearts are heavy with news of the tragedy at Lake Macbride. Kevin and I offer our deepest condolences to the families of Hannah Jorgensen and Ahmed Osman and ask that Iowans join us in prayer for their comfort and healing at this difficult time.
"This unimaginable loss touches the entire Borlaug Elementary community and Iowa City School District. Please know that Iowans across our state are standing with you in the difficult days ahead.
"We are grateful for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement and first responders who assisted. We value their professionalism, compassion and care."
The Borlaug Elementary School where Jorgensen taught and Osman attended also thanked the community for their support amid the tragedy.
Where the investigation stands
What we don't know:
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office says the incident remains under investigation. All other witnesses and individuals at the scene on Monday were accounted for.
The circumstances that led to both victims ending up in the water have not been released.
No additional details are available at this time.
The Source: Information from this article comes from a press release by the Johnson County, Iowa Sheriff's Office, the Iowa City Community School District statement provided by Kristin Pedersen, as well as information from their website, Borlaug Elementary School's statement, as well as Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' statement. This story was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.