Death of UNI student ruled a drowning

The death of a University of Northern Iowa student whose body was pulled from the Iowa River last month was ruled an accidental drowning, an autopsy shows.

Over-consumption of alcohol was a contributing factor in the death of 20-year-old Nathan Twedt, according to the autopsy from the Johnson County Medical Examiner’s Office. The autopsy is not public, but the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office made public the findings in a news release Friday.

Twedt, a finance major at UNI, was pulled from the river Sept. 10 at 7:48 p.m., more than an hour after he was first seen in the water at about 6:30 p.m.

Prior to that, officials said Twedt was seen inside the University of Iowa Recreation building on the corner of Burlington and Madison streets. Witnesses told investigators from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, which has jurisdiction over the river, that Twedt was highly intoxicated and very confused, the release said.

Investigators found that Twedt went from the public area of the recreation building into a restricted area, setting off a door alarm. At that point, surveillance video shows Twedt running through the building toward a rear exit, according to the release.

Officials said Twedt left through the northwest doors of the building, traveling south along the railroad tracks, which run parallel to the Iowa River. Thirteen minutes after running from the building, he entered the river about a quarter-mile south of Burlington Street, the release stated.

According to police, a witness saw Twedt enter the water alone. No foul play was involved.

Twedt was a sophomore at UNI and a graduate of Linn Mar High School. He was from the Marion area and a funeral was held for him last month.