Who Is Adam Wright? Missing Dartmouth Student Found Dead In New Hampshire River Near Campus

Police discovered the body of a missing Dartmouth College student in a river close to its campus in Hanover, New Hampshire, Tuesday morning. Adam Wright, 21, was last seen on campus early Monday morning. Police consequently announced his disappearance police later that day.

Wright’s body was found near the shoreline of the Connecticut River at 9:58 a.m. local time Tuesday about 500 yards from the campus, the Associated Press reported. Local police discovered the body a half-hour after receiving news that an employee spotted Wright’s backpack on the riverbank.

A preliminary investigation did not find any evidence of foul play in Wright’s death. The reason for the death was not immediately determined. Hanover Police Chief Charles Dennis said an autopsy was scheduled to be performed later this week in nearby Concord, New Hampshire, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.

Dartmouth College President Phil Hanlon sent an email to students and faculty members Tuesday afternoon informing them about the death of Wright. The Pennsylvania native was a senior studying politics and was the president of student organizations called the International Business Council and the Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering group. Professional counseling would be made available for students affected by the tragedy, Hanlon added.

"Adam, a government major, will be remembered as a quiet soul and a good friend," Hanlon wrote in the email. "We have been in touch with Adam’s family to share our most sincere sympathies during this time of tragic loss. Our thoughts are with Adam’s family and friends at this time of great sadness."

A January 2013 study about students dying while attending U.S. colleges was conducted by researchers at the University of Virginia to contest the highly touted statistic that 1,800 students die every year from alcohol-related causes. But a 2015 Washington Post report noted that figure of 1,800 students dying annually was heavily dependent on alcohol being consumed and causing fatal car accidents. Using data from 157 four-year colleges, researchers at the University of Virginia found that 1.49 deaths per 100,000 students were from alcohol-related injuries that didn't involve car accidents.