Janice Lozano
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 at a hospital. Belz's death was ruled an accident by the Johnson County Medical Examiner, who cited hypothermia due to cold exposure as the cause. The air temperature was 22 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 51 degrees. Belz's death was one of several linked to the extreme cold that gripped the Midwest during this time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Gerald Belz |
| Age | 18 |
| Date of Death | 30 January 2019 |
| Time of Death | Just before 3 a.m. |
| Location | Behind an academic building on the Iowa City campus |
| Cause of Death | Hypothermia due to cold exposure |
| Other Factors | Evidence of recent THC use |
| Family | Father: Michael Belz |
| University Response | Classes were canceled until Thursday |
| Lawsuits | Belz's family sued the university, regents, and state for negligence |
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What You'll Learn
Gerald Belz, 18, died of hypothermia
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 taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. At the time he was found, wind chill temperatures had dropped to minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit. Authorities believe his death was related to the extreme cold, and the medical examiner ruled his cause of death as hypothermia.
Belz was a pre-med student and had opted to stay on campus during the cold snap, rather than drive home to Cedar Rapids. His father, Michael Belz, said he had been concerned about his son driving in the snow and on slick roads. Classes at the university had been canceled due to the cold, and Belz's truck had mechanical issues.
The University of Iowa released a statement saying they were "saddened by the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family." Belz's former classmates and teachers remembered him as a sharp student and a constant source of encouragement. His high school principal offered counseling services to distressed students, and his father described him as "a momma's boy with a tough exterior."
In the wake of Belz's death, his family filed a lawsuit against the university, the Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa, alleging negligence and wrongful death. The suit argued that the university failed in its duty of care by locking the doors of the Burge Residence Hall, failing to inform residents, and not assigning security personnel to the entrances. The lawsuit also claimed that Belz was captured on surveillance video banging frantically on the locked door of his residence hall, trying to get back inside.
The death of Gerald Belz highlights the tragic consequences of extreme weather events and the importance of preparedness and safety measures, especially for institutions responsible for the well-being of their residents.
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Belz was a pre-med student at the University of Iowa
Gerald Belz was an 18-year-old pre-med student at the University of Iowa. He was in his second semester and was a year ahead in his studies due to taking extra college courses. Belz was from Cedar Rapids, and his father, Michael Belz, described him as a "quiet, tough guy" and a "momma's boy with a tough exterior".
Belz was found unconscious outside an academic building on campus in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The temperature at the time was 22 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 51 degrees. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Belz's death was ruled as accidental by a medical examiner, who determined the cause of death to be hypothermia due to cold exposure. There was also evidence of recent THC use in his system.
The University of Iowa had cancelled classes that day due to the dangerously low temperatures, and Belz had decided to stay on campus rather than risk driving home in the extreme cold. However, his family has filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit claims that the university failed to uphold its duty of care by locking the doors of the residence hall, failing to inform residents, and not assigning security personnel to the entrances.
Belz's former classmates and teachers remember him as a sharp student and a constant source of encouragement. His father, Michael, said he wanted people to remember his son as a compassionate person who had many friends. The University of Iowa issued a statement saying they were "saddened by the loss of a member of the Hawkeye family".
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He was found unconscious 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, Halsey Hall, on campus. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Authorities believe his death was caused by exposure to extreme cold, with wind chills of minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit at the time he was found.
Belz was last seen by his parents on the night of Sunday, January 27, when he returned to campus from his family home in Cedar Rapids. On Tuesday, January 29, classes at the university were canceled due to the dangerously low temperatures forecast for the following day. Belz opted to stay on campus and wait out the cold snap in his dorm.
However, surveillance video from Burge Residence Hall captured Belz leaving his residence sometime after 12:45 a.m. on January 30. At 1:09 a.m., he was seen on video frantically banging on the locked door of the residence hall, trying to get back inside. Despite his efforts, he was unable to re-enter the building.
At 2:48 a.m., Belz was found unresponsive outside Halsey Hall by a patrolling campus police officer. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The official cause of death was ruled as hypothermia due to cold exposure, with evidence of recent THC use in his system.
Belz's death has raised questions about the university's handling of the situation. His family has filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging negligence and wrongful death. They argue that the university failed in its duty to supervise and ensure the safety of its residents, including Belz. The lawsuit also claims that the university locked the Burge Residence Hall doors without notifying residents and failed to assign security personnel to the entrances.
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Belz's death was ruled an accident
On January 30, 2019, 18-year-old Gerald Belz, a pre-med freshman at the University of Iowa, was found unresponsive outside Halsey Hall on campus at around 2:48 a.m. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Belz's death was ruled an accident by the Johnson County Medical Examiner, who determined that he died of hypothermia due to cold exposure. The air temperature at the time was 22 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 51 degrees.
The University of Iowa had canceled classes on January 29 in anticipation of the dangerously cold temperatures, and Belz had decided to stay on campus instead of driving home to Cedar Rapids in his truck, which had mechanical issues. However, surveillance video from Burge Residence Hall showed Belz banging frantically on the locked door sometime after 12:45 a.m. on January 30, attempting to get back into the heated vestibule.
Belz's family filed a lawsuit against the university, the Board of Regents, and the state of Iowa, alleging negligence and wrongful death. The lawsuit claimed that the university failed in its duty to supervise and ensure the safety of its residents by locking the Burge doors without notification, failing to assign security personnel to the entrances, and not developing and implementing an appropriate emergency plan.
While the official cause of death was ruled as hypothermia, police also found evidence of recent THC use in Belz's system. The extreme cold that gripped the Midwest during this time resulted in multiple fatalities, with Belz's death being one of at least seven or eight attributed to the polar vortex.
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His family is suing the university for negligence
In January 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 attributed to hypothermia due to exposure to extreme cold, with wind chills reaching minus 51 degrees Fahrenheit.
Belz's family is now suing the university, the regents, and the state for negligence, alleging wrongful death and loss of "the support, society, companionship, and consortium of their son." The lawsuit claims that the University of Iowa accepted the duty of care for the supervision and safety of the residents of Burge Hall, where Belz lived. It argues that the university failed in its duty by locking the Burge doors, neglecting to inform residents, failing to assign security personnel to the entrances, and not developing and implementing an appropriate emergency plan to protect students from harm.
Surveillance video from Burge Residence Hall showed Belz banging frantically on the locked door, trying to get back into the heated vestibule. This video evidence supports the family's claim that the university's negligence contributed to their son's death. The lawsuit discloses previously unknown details about the events leading up to Belz's tragic demise.
The University of Iowa's decision to cancel classes due to the extreme cold is indicative of their awareness of the potential dangers posed by the weather conditions. Yet, despite this foresight, the university allegedly failed to take adequate precautions to ensure the safety of its residents, particularly those in Burge Hall. The locking of the Burge doors, a departure from normal procedures, played a critical role in preventing Belz from seeking shelter and ultimately led to his exposure to the deadly cold.
The Belz family's lawsuit seeks to hold the university and other responsible parties accountable for their negligence, shedding light on the tragic and preventable nature of Gerald Belz's death. The case underscores the importance of institutions of higher learning prioritizing the safety and well-being of their students, especially during extreme weather events.
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Frequently asked questions
Gerald Belz, an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Iowa, died of hypothermia due to cold exposure.
Belz was found unconscious behind an academic building on campus in the early hours of the morning. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The air temperature was 22 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of minus 51 degrees.
Belz's family is suing the university, regents, and state for negligence and wrongful death. They argue that the university failed to uphold its duty to ensure the safety of its residents.
