Notre Dame student Declan Sullivan dies
A Notre Dame student died Wednesday after the tower from which he was filming football practice fell over.
Declan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior from Long Grove, Ill., was transported from the LaBar practice complex to a South Bend hospital, where he died.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Declan’s family and friends,” – coach Brian Kelly said in a release. “Declan was a diligent student worker in our video department and had a tremendous personality and great sense of humor. … The Notre Dame football family will dearly miss him.”
- Declan Sullivan.
Authorities were investigating the incident: the hydraulic scissor lift, which can be lowered or
raised depending on needs, stretched across a nearby street.
Winds in the area were gusting to 51 mph at the time, according to the National Weather Service, and the team practiced indoors Tuesday because of the blustery conditions.
Notre Dame was making grief counselors available for students.
Graduation rates improve: College athletes continue to graduate at record rates, according to the newest data released Wednesday by the NCAA.
The annual Graduation Success Rate shows 79 percent of athletes entering college between 2000-01 and 2003-04 earned their degrees within six years, matching last year’s record high.
A Notre Dame student was killed Wednesday when the hydraulic scissorlift from which he was filming Fighting Irish practice was apparently toppled by winds gusting to 60 mph.
Declan Sullivan, a 20-year-old junior, sent messages to Twitter from the top of the tower before the accident.
In his first message, Sullivan wrote: “Gust of wind up to 60mph well today will be fun at work… I guess I’ve lived long enough :-/.”
About 40 minutes later, he wrote: “Holy f-ck holy f-ck this is terrifying.”
Less than an hour later, the tower was toppled. Sullivan died a short time later at South Bend Memorial Hospital.
The football team reportedly continued to practice, leaving the field 20 to 30 minutes after the accident.