UNI student who drowned in Iowa River was ‘highly intoxicated’

IOWA CITY - Authorities believe a Marion man was 'highly intoxicated” before he entered the Iowa River last month and drowned.

The Johnson County Sheriff's Office on Friday released the findings of their monthlong investigation into the drowning death of 20-year-old Nathan A. Twedt. Twedt was a student at the University of Northern Iowa.

Twedt's body was pulled from the Iowa River on Sept. 10 after the Johnson County Joint Emergency Communication Center received a report of a subject in the river around 6:30 p.m. that evening. Boats were deployed into the river north of the Benton Street Bridge, which is south of downtown Iowa City.

According to the sheriff's office:

Twedt was last seen in the University of Iowa Recreation Building on the corner of Burlington and Madison streets around 13 minutes before he was seen entering the river. Witnesses told investigators that Twedt was highly intoxicated and very confused.

Authorities said Twedt went into a restricted area of the Recreation Building - triggering an alarm - before running toward a rear exit. Twedt exited through the northwest doors of the building and then walked south along the railroad tracks that run parallel to the east side of the Iowa River.

A witness on the west side of the river said they saw Twedt enter the water a quarter mile south of Burlington Street. He was alone.

Twedt's death was determined to be accidental drowning, with overconsumption of alcohol being a contributing factor, authorities said.