U of O apologizes for statement on student’s death

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The University of Oregon has apologized for a statement it put out after a student was found dead during a trip to Shasta Lake in Northern California.

The 21-year-old student, identified as business administration major Dylan Pietrs, was found dead at a boat-in campground Saturday morning. There were no signs of foul play, and while the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office said the student had reportedly been drinking, it’s not clear whether alcohol played a role.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the university’s Division of Student Life put out a statement saying: “As devastating as this sudden passing is, it is important to point out that this tragedy is connected to an unauthorized tradition among many college students. Students from many institutions have a history of demonstrating poor life choices during visits to Lake Shasta.”

On Sunday, the university offered condolences to Pietrs’ family on Twitter and said it regretted the statement’s “insensitive tone.”

Other students found Pietrs in a sleeping bag inside a tent on the lake shore.

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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com