A University of Iowa student died on Wednesday after being found in subzero temperatures outside a building on the Iowa City campus.
The Daily Iowan reports that university police discovered student Gerald Belz, 18, unresponsive behind Halsey Hall at about 2:48 a.m. Wednesday.
Belz was taken to a hospital where he later died. The cause of death is believed to be weather-related, and no foul play is suspected.
Local weather reports stated the temperature around the time Belz was found was 23 degrees below zero. Because of the cold weather, the university canceled classes from Tuesday at 5 p.m. through noon Thursday.
Belz’ father, Michael Belz, says doctors have told him alcohol was not found in Gerald’s system at the time of his death. He also says Gerald was Snapchatting his girlfriend late Tuesday night, and in those messages told her he was going to bed.
Gerald Belz was a pre-medicine major in his second semester, but was considered a second-year student. He lived in Burge Hall.
He was from Cedar Rapids and graduated in 2018 from Kennedy High School.
