Iowa Student Deaths: What Happened And Why?

On January 30, 2019, 18-year-old Gerald Belz, a freshman at the University of Iowa, was found unconscious outside a campus building and later died in the hospital. Belz's death was believed to be related to the frigid temperatures that had gripped the Midwest, with wind chills reaching as low as minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit. This tragic incident claimed the lives of at least 21 people in the region, causing schools and businesses to shut down.

Gerald Belz, 18, was found behind an academic building

On January 30, 2019, 18-year-old Gerald Belz, a freshman at the University of Iowa, was found unconscious behind an academic building on campus. He was discovered by campus police at approximately 2:45 a.m. and rushed to a hospital, where he later died.

Belz was a pre-medicine major in his second semester at the university. He was a resident of Burge Hall and a graduate of Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, where he played football. Belz's father, Michael Belz, described his son as a "quiet, tough guy" and a "momma's boy with a tough exterior." He also shared that Belz wanted to become a cardiologist and had many friends, although he didn't often bring them to his house.

The National Weather Service reported that temperatures in Iowa City, where the university is located, dropped to minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit late Tuesday and early Wednesday, with a wind chill as low as minus 51 degrees. Belz's death was believed to be related to these frigid temperatures, making him one of at least eight people who lost their lives due to the record-setting cold that had settled over the Midwest that week.

The University of Iowa released a statement on Twitter expressing sadness over the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family. They also announced the cancellation of classes until Thursday due to the dangerous cold and offered counseling services to students in need of support.

Belz was a pre-med student at the University of Iowa

On January 30, 2019, 18-year-old Gerald Belz, a pre-med student at the University of Iowa, was found unresponsive outside an academic building on campus by university police. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Belz's death was likely caused by the extreme cold, with wind chills reaching minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit at the time he was found. The University of Iowa freshman had been captured on surveillance video banging frantically on the locked door of his residence hall, Burge Hall, just over an hour before he was discovered behind Halsey Hall.

Belz was a pre-med student in his second semester at the University of Iowa, where he was a resident of Burge Hall. He was from Cedar Rapids and had graduated from Kennedy High School, where he played football and was described as a "good kid" by his father, Michael Belz. His high school principal, Jason Kline, also paid tribute to Belz, offering counselling services to distressed students.

Belz's father described him as a "momma's boy with a tough exterior" and shared that he wanted to be a cardiologist. Michael Belz also expressed his desire for people to remember his son as a compassionate person, stating that he had many friends, although he didn't often bring them over to the house.

The University of Iowa released a statement on Twitter, expressing sadness at the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family. The university also announced the cancellation of classes until Thursday due to the frigid weather conditions.

While the official cause of Belz's death was not released, police and investigators believed it was related to the subzero temperatures and frigid weather conditions. Belz's death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner, and foul play or alcohol was not suspected.

Belz died in hospital after being found unresponsive

On January 30, 2019, University of Iowa student Gerald Belz was found unresponsive outside on campus by UI police. The 18-year-old was discovered behind an academic building, Halsey Hall, at around 2:48 a.m. Belz was then transported to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Belz's death was believed to be related to the extreme weather conditions. At the time he was found, the temperature was -23 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of around -50 degrees. No foul play or alcohol was found in his system, according to police.

Belz, a pre-med student, was a semester ahead at the university and lived in Burge Hall. His father, Michael Belz, described him as a "good kid" and a "quiet, tough guy". The university offered counselling services to students impacted by the loss.

A lawsuit filed by Belz's family against the university, the Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa, alleged that the university was negligent in locking exterior doors into the heated entry vestibules of Burze Hall without warning residents. The suit claimed that this failure to notify residents, along with the absence of security personnel at the newly shuttered entrances, contributed to Belz's death.

Belz's death was believed to be related to subzero temperatures

On January 30, 2019, 18-year-old Gerald Belz, a pre-med freshman at the University of Iowa, was found unresponsive outside an academic building on campus. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Belz's death was believed to be related to the subzero temperatures that hit the Midwest that week.

At the time Belz was found, temperatures in Iowa City had dropped to minus 21 degrees Fahrenheit, with a wind chill as low as minus 51 degrees. The extreme cold was caused by a polar vortex, which brought arctic temperatures to the region. The University of Iowa had canceled classes in anticipation of the severe weather, and Belz had opted to stay in his dorm rather than make the half-hour trip back to his family's home in Cedar Rapids.

Belz was last seen on surveillance video from his residence hall, Burge Hall, at 1:09 a.m. on the night of his death. The video showed him attempting to enter the building through a typically open entrance to a heated vestibule, but the door was locked, and he was unable to get in. Belz was seen "banging frantically" on the door, but no one came to his aid. He was found unresponsive nearly two hours later, at 2:48 a.m., behind Halsey Hall, about three-tenths of a mile from Burge Hall.

A Johnson County Medical Examiner report listed Belz's cause of death as hypothermia due to cold exposure, with evidence of recent THC use. His death was ruled an accident. Belz's family filed a lawsuit against the university, the Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa, arguing that the university was negligent in locking the exterior doors to Burge Hall without warning and failing to assign security personnel to the entrances.

Belz's death was one of at least 21 fatalities attributed to the extreme weather that week in the Midwest. The dangerous cold snap caused schools and businesses to close, strained infrastructure, and sent scores of people to hospitals with hypothermia and frostbite.

Belz's family sued the university, regents, and state for negligence

The death of University of Iowa student Gerald Belz in January 2019 was a tragedy that prompted his family to take legal action against the university, the Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa. Belz, an 18-year-old freshman, was found unresponsive outside an academic building on campus during a polar vortex, which brought record-breaking cold temperatures to the Midwest. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, and his death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner, with hypothermia due to cold exposure as the cause.

The Belz family's lawsuit revealed that Gerald Belz had left his residence hall, Burge Hall, after 12:45 a.m. on January 30, a day when classes were cancelled due to the extreme cold. When he attempted to re-enter the hall at 1:09 a.m., he discovered that the exterior doors to the heated vestibule were locked, contrary to usual practice. The lawsuit alleged that the university had locked these doors without warning the residents, including Belz, and had failed to assign security personnel to the entrances.

Surveillance video from Burge Residence Hall showed Belz banging frantically on the locked door, trying to get someone's attention to let him in. Sadly, no one came to his aid, and he was later found unresponsive outside Halsey Hall, located about three-tenths of a mile from Burge Hall. The lawsuit asserted that the university had a duty to supervise and ensure the safety of the residents of Burge Hall, including Gerald Belz, and that they failed in this duty by locking the doors without warning, not providing security personnel, and not developing an appropriate emergency plan.

The Belz family's lawsuit sought to hold the university, regents, and state accountable for their negligence, alleging wrongful death, and seeking compensation for the loss of their son's support, companionship, and consortium. They argued that the university's actions, or lack thereof, directly contributed to the harm that befell Gerald Belz, ultimately resulting in his tragic death.

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