EUGENE, Ore. — The University of Oregon has apologized for a statement it put out after a student was found dead during a trip to Shasta Lake in Northern California.
The 21-year-old student, identified as business administration major Dylan Pietrs, was found dead at a boat-in campground Saturday morning. There were no signs of foul play, and while the Shasta County Sheriff's Office said the student had reportedly been drinking, it's not clear whether alcohol played a role.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that the university's Division of Student Life put out a statement saying: "As devastating as this sudden passing is, it is important to point out that this tragedy is connected to an unauthorized tradition among many college students. Students from many institutions have a history of demonstrating poor life choices during visits to Lake Shasta."
On Sunday the university offered condolences to Pietrs' family on Twitter and said it regretted the statement's "insensitive tone."