Authorities have confirmed that Eliotte Heinz, a 22-year-old graduate student from Wisconsin, died from an accidental drowning after being found in the Mississippi River.
Her death occurred just hours after she left a local downtown bar, sparking a search that lasted several days.
No Signs of Trauma, But High Alcohol Level
The La Crosse County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Heinz had no visible injuries.
However, her blood alcohol content was measured at 0.193—more than double Wisconsin’s legal driving limit.
Authorities found no drugs in her system at the time of her death.
Last Moments Captured on Camera
According to local reports, Heinz appeared to leave Bronco’s Bar around 2:30 a.m. without showing signs of distress.
Surveillance footage then captured her walking in a south-southwest direction until 3:39 a.m., when she approached the main channel of the Mississippi River.
Later, cameras recorded her leaving the water shortly after 4 a.m., moving back toward the embankment.
Her smartwatch recorded her final steps about 30 minutes later, with her last heartbeat registered at 7:30 a.m.
Delayed Missing Person Alert
It wasn’t until 10:26 a.m. that La Crosse police were notified of Heinz’s disappearance.
Family and friends had grown concerned when she did not return home and requested a welfare check.
This call triggered an extensive, four-day search across the college town.
Eventually, a fisherman found Heinz’s body floating in the water near Brownsville, Minnesota—over 10 miles from where she was last seen.
Authorities Rule Out Foul Play
Police concluded that no criminal activity contributed to Heinz’s death.
Investigators found no evidence of suicidal intentions on her phone or other electronic devices recovered by friends, nor anything suspicious in her home.
“This was not the outcome we had hoped for throughout this search,” said La Crosse Police Chief Shawn Kudron, expressing condolences to Heinz’s family and friends.
Viterbo University Mourns
Heinz, a mental health counseling student at Viterbo University, was also remembered by her alma mater.
University President Dr. Rick Trietley shared the school’s sorrow:
“There are no words that can ease the pain of losing someone so young, with so much life ahead of her.
Our hearts go out to Eliotte’s family, and we stand with them in their grief.”
Family Remembers Eliotte as “Beautiful and Loved”
Following the confirmation of her death, Heinz’s family paid tribute to their daughter, describing her as smart, funny, caring, and cherished by everyone who knew her.
“We don’t know why we were so blessed to have her as a daughter or why we are unable to keep her.
She is amazing and would have continued to amaze us,” her family wrote.
“Eliotte’s walk home is finished. Unfortunately, our family’s walk down this new hard path is just beginning,” they added, reflecting their heartbreak at the loss of a beloved child.
Community in Shock
The tragedy has left friends, classmates, and the wider Wisconsin-Minnesota community in mourning.
Heinz’s sudden death is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life, and the search for answers has brought people together to honor her memory.
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